FAQautism

Inflexibility is a common characteristic in autism. What types of difficulties arise when a person is unable to tolerate change? What challenges do we encounter when restrictive behaviors rule a person’s life?

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Restrictive behaviors can range from watching the same movie over and over again to refusing to eat new foods. These are just some examples of extraordinary inflexibility I encountered this week:
+ A pre-schooler who is usually cooperative started biting his hand and kicking a chair when another student sat in his favorite green chair.
+ A young adult who is resistant to changes in routine refused to evacuate his work place during a fire drill because he was intent on finishing his job.
+ An older adult is heading toward a meltdown sometime soon because she will only wear a certain shirt and slacks on Thursdays. The shirt is becoming very threadbare after so many years of wear, and will soon disintegrate. An elementary student with autism is heading toward a similar catastrophe because his favorite stuffed animal is beginning to fall apart.
+ A pre-teen with autism insists on watching the same video movie day after day, and has done so for many years. In spite of their best efforts, her family and teachers have not yet been able to convince her to watch more age-appropriate movies nor to expand her interests to books, outdoor play, or other activities.
+ One of my teen friends with autism will only ride in one car, and he insists that his dad drive. He simply refuses to get into other cars, causing major issues when dad isn’t around.

These are just a few examples of inflexible, compulsive behaviors that can cause major problems in the life of an individual with autism. Tune into part 2 of this discussion for more details.

NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me a confidential email at talk@FAQautism.com with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com

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