BEFORE THE AUTISM DIAGNOSIS: Beware the Awesome Toddler Shopper

2 year olds make shopping so fun! (Jack’s little sister)

The other day I was shopping with my 2-year-old (neurotypical) daughter. She was requesting to get in and out of the cart. She wanted EVERYTHING. She demanded we go “that way!” and threw a fit when we didn’t. She was darling one moment and a terror the next. Amidst the commotion she caused, I started to recall a memory about Jack:

Toddler Jack, Before the Autism Diagnosis

Shopping with Toddler Jack was a dream. He sat in the cart, quietly staring. I had my thoughts to myself as I worked through my shopping list. We would get in the car afterward and I’d tell him what an awesome shopper he was. I was quite the amazing mom:  now on my 4th child, I had this shopping-with-kids-thing down. Sure, he refused the stickers the cashiers always insisted on giving—he wouldn’t touch the things. No, he wouldn’t smile and wave and say ‘hi’ and ‘thank you’ to the workers or shoppers like my other flirty kids. But oh was he was so quiet and good in the cart!

Being jolted back into reality by my real-time screaming toddler, I had to shake my head in awe at what I didn’t understand back then. In reality, I didn’t have ANYTHING down. I didn’t see that the quiet, the staring, the lack of connection to the world meant something. This kid had much more to him than just his ‘awesome toddler shopper’ status. I hadn’t yet realized that there was a different, lurking ‘A’ word that would rear its head in our near future.

You can read much, much more on this site about my family’s discovery of the Spectrum of issues that are part of our Jack. I recommend reading my In the Beginning post, as well as the Something’s Up with Jack series to learn more about the signs and early process of acknowledging Autism. This helpful post will give you some step by step information about how to go about getting an assessment.

>> If these thoughts and feelings are striking a chord within you because of  your child’s behaviors, I send to you a virtual hug and encouragement as you discover what might be going on in your family. I hope you find this blog to be a source of learning and peace for you as you navigate the unique world of Autism. <<