Routines of some ASD

Lorenzo stared at the plate and there was something strange, he couldn't move, he just looked at it and contemplated, when his mother realized that his body started to sway, to lose his gaze and his hands to flutter as if he wanted to fly, immediately she put her gaze on the plate and realized that he had placed the bread on the right side and the cheese on top of the bread.

These were not easy days for the mother, but even so, with patience and love she accommodated the food, giving it that perfect balance within Lorenzo's world, that limited world full of routines and rituals that for many are inexplicable.

People within the autistic spectrum usually have this kind of daily routines, very marked in some cases, for example, greeting, walking in the same place, sleeping and waking up at the same time, and as we see in the case of Lorenzo, having a structured pattern within his breakfast plate.

Others walk to school on a path they will never change, brush their teeth only with a specific toothpaste, drink water in the same glass, wear only one color of clothing, and I could spend hours describing the routine behaviors and rituals of ASD.

These behaviors cannot be seen as something capricious, but they are mostly rigid behaviors that have no negotiation for them, they can also be repetitive words (echolalia) but when this happens it is only a mechanism of regulation and tranquility for them.

You may ask how to help?

Well, it's simple, first and foremost an attitude of respect and not pointing out what is going on.

He understands that it is a mechanism of seeking his security and expressing that there is something that is not right for him.

Identify what is bothering him (Lorenzo is non-verbal and cannot express what he is feeling at that moment in words).

And always, always keep empathy at the forefront of your mind, I know it's not easy but believe me it's the best thing to do in these cases.

See you next time