Inclusion Zone

Boo watching Sushi TV in "Yo! we make crappy Sushi but great noodles"
And yes, he did make a grab for gold hello kitty after I took photograph. Staff not impressed but not as bad as the day he played with Ganesha in Mila's.
(Waiter speaking in Apu voice "Please do not play with my god"

Boo absolutely loving the little water taps at each station.
Believe it or not he went for the Tempura crab claws.
Eating the claw then the flesh, but leaving the batter!

Some of you may wonder why I like to put pictures of my kids out and around Dublin; on my blog so often.

It is not, as you may suspect: a really good way to fill a post and get comments on how good looking they both are (true) - but a way of communicating that being out and proud with a pair of very autistic small people is not only possible, but fun!

And while I would like to say it is my way of trying to push the envelope for acceptance of diversity in our society. Truth be told it is just too hard for me to be house bound and hide away. I love going out, I love my kids. Ergo - we go out.

Okay, it works better when I only have one at a time. They are not pulling me in divergent directions and as they both have such different ideas of what constitutes a fun outing, it is better to have an Angel or Husband to entertain the other.

It is also better to find common ground - stuff that you both will enjoy.

Bratty likes chicken nuggets, walking and any activity involving water. She hates to "eat in" in restaurant, preferring her home, or car for dining. I hate chicken nuggets, but I like walking and love swimming. So that's what I do with Bratty. Then we get drive-thru.

Boo likes Movies, Noodles and shopping for movies. He is okay about eating in, but a bit messy. He hates clothes shopping and walking without a clear destination.

So I bring him to the movies, sometimes just to watch the end of a film and the credits. And I can take him for noodles in busy cafes and get the kind of food I like at the same time. We compromise on shopping for Dvds, in return for a small amount of clothes trying in an emptyish shop (like The Gap)

Together, we all get a day out, and I get a chance to develop their social skills a bit further.
We also go to the same places all the time and the people who work there get used to us.

And I have to say that people can be very bloody nice and helpful. Dundrum Cinema, McDonalds Bray, Siam Thai in Dundrum and The Glenview Hotel - this means you!.

Sometimes I tell them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I don't need to, they either know or they don't have to.

Either way, our world stretches, and hopefully their appreciation of diversity does too.

Try it. You might like it.
xx