Dancing King

One of the quirky characteristics of people with autism is their tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors. Think of Rain Man rocking back and forth. That's a common one. And yes, every night at our house, we have a certain time set aside for FrogBoy to enjoy "WHEEL! OF! FORTUNE!" and "This Is...JEOPARDY!" Same deal, every night, without fail. Do it once and it's a routine.

All that to say, FrogBoy loves to spin. He's a spinner. He also chews on his shirts. We spend a lot of money on clothes for the kid because he eats his shirts. These behaviors give him sensory feedback that you and I don't need. But FrogBoy needs it. So he chews. And he spins.

FrogBoy also can't stand to have clothes on. We're not sure if they just irritate him (another sensory issue) or if he just likes being naked, but the minute he walks in the door from school, he strips down to his underwear and is as happy as can be. If we tell him we're going somewhere or someone's coming over, he's fine to stay in his clothes, but if we don't prevent the stripping, off they come, the minute he gets home.

We've also always had issues with FrogBoy getting dressed in the morning. Apparently, it is ALWAYS too cold for him to get dressed - even in the middle of the summer. So it is ALWAYS a big fat hairy deal.

However, several years ago, we got a real treat. When FrogBoy would change his clothes, he would remove the articles one-by-one and spin around and dance and swing the clothing above his head, male-stripper style. He was our own little Chippendales dancer. He would dance until he was tired and then release the clothes mid-spin. We would find underwear behind the bookshelves and hanging off lamps. It was quite enjoyable.

Sadly, the days of the dance party have gone by the wayside. FrogBoy still strips, and he still dances, he just doesn't combine the two anymore.