Bumps and Bruises

29/01/14






Luke is an extremely active little boy - sometimes a little too active! Luke went back to nursery today after having 2 days off due to a sickness bug that's doing the rounds at the minute, and I had to list all the bumps and bruises he has.
He has a bruise on his cheek because he decided swinging on my curtains was super fun, and the curtain pole came down and smacked him in the face! He has a blister on his hand after touching the glass dish that had just come out of the oven! He has a graze all down one thigh after running outside with no shoes on, running on a mossy patch and sliding across the patio... Bumps and bruises are a regular occurrence for Luke.
Luke has a ridiculously high pain threshold, that quite often he is a danger to himself. We have a gas fire in our front room and he sits really close to it, and quite often doesn't realise just how hot he is getting. He touches hot things and doesn't immediately feel that they are burning him, and so he holds it for 5 or 6 seconds before letting go.
He also has no safety awareness and no sense of fear. In a lot of ways he is a danger to himself and others around him. I've had to start filming him when he's doing things, so that when I have to take him to A&E I can show them what he does (the way he's going it will only be a matter of time!). He has currently taken to climbing up on the furniture and jumping off it...


Bumps and bruises are inevitable with any child, but having an autistic child who is active and a bit of a daredevil, means that you have to be super vigilant at all times. You know how some people say "You're making me tired just watching you"? That actually happens with Luke. You get so physically and mentally tired watching him constantly. You can't even leave him alone long enough to go to the toilet without him doing something. But his safety and well being are my highest priority. I hope that one day I'll be able to pee in peace, but until then I'll always be watching him like a hawk.




Lukey is an escape artist. I call him my little Houdini. I always lock the door when we come in, but Luke can work the keys. I take the keys out, but he knows which key goes in which lock. So I made his dad put chains on the doors so that he wouldn't be able to get out. So all he does now drag something up to the doors and takes the chains off. Sometimes people forget to re-lock or re-chain the door when they get in and Luke runs off. So it can be very tiring some days.
Luke is also quite the naturist. He hates wearing clothes, particularly trousers, pants and socks. He's OK wearing them in public, but as soon as he gets home they come straight off. He has sensory processing disorder as well as the autism and it's a little too much for him. He doesn't like to feel confined in his clothes, and sometimes he doesn't like the texture of his trousers, or the way the clothes touch his skin... Some days he keeps his t-shirts or jumpers on, but most days they come off too and he ends up running round as naked as the day he was born. So, for anyone who has or will be visiting us at home, Luke's nakedness is a common occurrence for us and we don't think anything of it. I understand that it can be quite as shock for new people to see a 4 year old running around with no clothes on, but that's what Luke needs and if he's happy then I'm happy. 


We have very good days and very bad days. However, thankfully majority of our days are mixture of good and bad.


Some of the comments I've been getting about my blog are fantastic, and I really appreciate the support, the encouragement and even the fact that any of you bother to read it! I only really started this as a vent for myself - sometimes a girl just needs to rant and rave about things, and writing it down seems to help. But I just wanted you all to know that I'm not writing this for recognition, or sympathy or anything, this is purely for myself, my one selfish thing. If I can educate a few people along the way then that's an added bonus. If someone reads this who has autistic child with any similar traits to Luke and it helps them to know that they aren't alone, then that is also an added bonus.


Take care guys :)