Teaching an old Ds new tricks

I am sitting at my desk, watching Chloe arrive home from Burke & Beyond. She catches public transport.  I gave her a call to buy some milk on the way home. So, firstly she popped into the supermarket, bought the milk, wandered over to the train station, then caught the bus from the station this end & wandered down the hill home. 

She made it home as the day darkened and the thunder started to roll in. Just in time before the skies opened up for our very first Spring storm!

I mention this because people with Ds are known to not be able to break their routine and dropping into the supermarket is out of her normal home routine.

Since MC was born, I have made it my job to ensure she didn't have a chance to set any routines in concrete.

I will and have always done little things like not have the same meals on the same nights, drive a different way to the shops, changed dinner times, get her to do little jobs differently and now she is pretty competent, get her to pick things up for me on her way home. 

Chloe HATES change as much as the next person with Ds, but she has learnt to adjust and be adjustable and that is a good thing for everyone in her little family.

This doesn't mean she hasn't enforced some routines herself. Whenever she leaves a message on my phone she says: "Hello Mum, It's Chloe here...Chloe Dymond......".  It doesn't matter how often I have told her she doesn't need to say her full name, she will still do it. I decided it is OK to lose a few battles, as long as I am on top of the wars, so I let it go through to the keeper. 

Between Chloe & me, we sure don't lead a dull life.....
You too can teach your child with Ds to become flexible...with a little time, patience & being a little consistently inconsistent.

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