Does you child line up toys?
Jonah does. Toys…. cups…blocks… pretty much anything that has similar shape and size.
One thing he used to do was to line up all his alphabet blocks (color side up) and he would get upset if any of the blocks were not facing the “correct” way.
After learning about autism and the different sensory needs of each person, it made more sense to me.
Kerry Magro (an autistic adult and advocate) once wrote this:
“When I was a kid, I loved routines and order. Having a structure was important for me; it put me in a place of comfort.
This started as early as I could remember. They would usually start with trains and Legos. I used to love to organize my trains in height order. As my love of toys began to grow as I got older, this became a common trend with my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures and then other things in my house as well.“
So, lining up cars, or blocks gives Jonah a comforting visual sensation in the same way “stimming” gives him a comforting physical sensation.
And likewise, if it makes him happy, it makes ME happy.
#respectTheLine