Shopping with Autism

Last night I had some shopping to do and I thought it would be good for the kids to get out too. I took Isaac, Simeon and Hannah with me. Hannah is always up for a good shopping trip, and usually, Isaac is too. Simeon is in "training" for how to act while shopping.

The main reason we were going out is because Ammon shoved the DVD player off the table and broke it. DVD players are living a long life if they last a year and a half in our home. I usually buy the cheapest DVD player I can find because I know it won't last long. Guess what I found last night? A PINK DVD player!!! It's so pretty! And it will go with the general pink decor I have. I put it in the cart.

Isaac (Asperger's)glares at me and starts sulking. Many attempts were made to remove the DVD player from the cart. The final comment Isaac said to me was that I was ruining his life by buying a pink DVD Player. Granted, there was a blue one, but being on a huge rant lately that none of my stuff is sacred, I held my ground on the pink DVD player.

Then Simeon (Autistic), who has never given much input on what things he likes in our house, threw a fit about the pink DVD player. He tried to tell me I would save 25.00 if I bought a blue one. When that tactic didn't work, he started shopping for his own stuff, like mini tvs, radios and some napkins. To show how displeased he was with me, he would only take 3 inch steps, take a break by sitting in an empty spot on a shelf, then race ahead to catch up when I turned a corner. At one point I saw him pushing himself on the floor like a turtle. Intermittently he would growl.

Then we had just the opposite behavior, and this is always kinda funny to watch. Most people that are shopping don't expect to be greeted like their best friend just spotted them in the store. When Simeon walks into a store he starts to wave and say hi, and ask questions. The first little boys he saw he waved and asked "Hey Dude, what's happening?" The boys just stop and stare. The next person was a lady with a little girl in the cart. "Hi! What's your name?" Later we passed a little boy in a cart eating a sandwich. "Hey Dude, whatcha eating? Can I have a bite?" Other times we've been in stores and he asks every person we pass if they like hotdogs. If he sees two women walking together he yells "Hi Ladies!!" He has no problem searching other peoples' carts for goods and reporting. He starts conversations with almost everyone we see, and most everyone is good natured about it.

When we got home Simeon and Isaac were still upset about the pink DVD player. Makes me wonder if they will watch movies on it, and if not, YAY! I found a way to cut back on TV watching!