For a person who does not like a lot of noise, Boo Bear can be one of the noisiest kids I know. On one hand, this is good, it is easy to track him. As long as I can hear him hooting and laughing I know that all is well in his world. If he suddenly gets quiet I drop everything and come running because I know he is into something that he should not be into. In an ASD household, silence is never golden, it just makes me really suspicious.
Like many kids on the spectrum, until he was on meds at age 4, Boo Bear was a lousy sleeper. Well, put it this way, he just did not sleep, at all. Robert and I were zombies for years. After we got him on the right combo of meds he finally began sleeping. On a good night he will sleep 11-12 hours. But, once in a while, something sets him off and he pulls an all nighter. Last night was one of those nights. Maybe it is because it is the end of vacation and though he has been super good for 2 weeks, he is ready to go back to school and his routine. Maybe it was because of the super moon, which was so bright on the snowfall that it was still light outside at midnight. His room does have blackout curtains, but he was up anyway. Around 8:30 he indicated to me that he was ready to go to bed. We did the usual bedtime ritual and got him tucked in, turned off the light and shut the door. Boo decided it was time to start the party. He bounced and hooted and flapped. He made his infamous banshee noises. We brought him out a couple of times. Once he wanted more to eat, another time he wanted to use the toilet and get a drink. Both times he willingly went back into his room, but he did not settle down. From 9:00 pm until 5:30 am he bounced and shrieked happily. At 5:30 I gave up on getting any sleep and headed for the gym. I had a good workout, showered, got some coffee and headed home. I walked in the door at 8:00 am and the banshee noises were still going strong. I went in to see him and was greeted with a sunny smile. He was delighted to see me! I gave him his morning meds and he disappeared downstairs to spin like a whirling dervish on his beloved swing. After half an hour of vestibular stimulation, he came back upstairs, ate ravenously and sank into a hot bath, where he is now. I am hoping this settles him a bit. This will definitely be a day where we get out and about. At is is minus 7 F outside, we may have to be mall walkers, but that is okay. I just need to get him out and moving. I suspect that once he gets back into his school schedule tomorrow things will slide back into place.
So, I am curious, do other ASD families have pet banshees that only come out at night? Do they come out more strongly when it is a super moon? I am pretty sure that I did not order a banshee for the occasion and Robert said he did not, either. This leaves one of the three dogs as a possible culprit. My suspicion is that Max, our Springer Spaniel, probably figured out how to access Amazon and ordered a banshee. Okay, Amazon, the party is over. What is your return policy? I would like to return one shrieking banshee. I will happily keep the kid, but the banshee needs to leave. I just don’t have enough coffee at my disposal to handle another night of banshee noises. Thanks!
Harriet's Hedgehogs and Autism Advocacy 