Things Mowgli Loves and Things He/We Can't Live Without

I'm stealing a concept from another Autism blogger (autism-daddy.blogspot.com), who, by the way, I highly recommend. That said, I thought I might take some time out and describe, for any of you who might be interested, what Mowgli loves, and therefore what we love, because he loves, because we probably wouldn't make it without them. Seriously, you might look at some of this stuff and think "Really? He could probably live without that", but by way of example, his brain thinks it is his turn on the computer right now (as I'm typing), and his inability to get it immediately has caused him to scream uncontrollably and punch his head for the last 25 minutes. If you're still thinking that he could live without some of this stuff, go ahead and pick up a nice book, pour yourself a hot herbal tea, and then try and read while your friend/spouse/significant other screams hysterically in your ear until they faint from exhaustion, because that, by the way, is the only thing that will stop him.

Here we go:

1. Popsicles - Who doesn't like a good popsicle on a hot summer day? Pretty much everyone can appreciate the cooling sensation and sweet hydration that a popsicle provides. An entire box of them in January? Not so much. Though we're sure that the sugar isn't the best thing for him, we do our best to give him Edy's "All Fruit Juice" popsicles (I smell a Dad of Year award!). Without popsicles in the house, he would ask for them continuously until they appeared. This is no exaggeration. He will perseverate until they arrive, non-stop, for days at a time.

2. Chex Mix and Combos - Why Chex Mix and Combos you ask? Who the hell knows, but God help me if I haven't rationalized that they are a healthier-ish option than potato chips (which he also loves) and other snacks. I'm certain that most of Mowgli's calories come in the form of Worcestershire sauce. We've also just considered buying him salt licks - though the cost/benefit analysis doesn't seem to quite work out.

3. Swimming - Mowgli loves swimming. He'd probably spend his entire life in water if it was made available to him. I'm certain that if I turned my back for even a minute at the Syracuse Zoo, he would take up permanent residence in the penguin tank (who he affectionately refers to as his "babies").

4. Exercise Ball - You know those exercise balls that fat people on The Biggest Loser hysterically tumble off of nearly every episode? Mowgli spends approximately 5-6 hours a day bouncing on one. The result? Rock hard baby abs (that is as creepy as you imagine it). He's coincidentally shaped like a 1920's strongman - barrel chested and loin-clothed/diapered. He's just missing a handle bar mustache and a bicycle with one giant wheel.

5. Eyes - You heard me. Eyeballs. It is actually part of his behavioral plan at school, because he's trying to touch people's eyes so often and he obviously can't continue to do that. The only thing worse than touching eyes you ask? How about licking them, which he also enjoys if available. Here's a picture of him licking what I imagine would be the location of this inanimate object's eye sockets (he does it every morning before he gets on the bus - notice the "neck" grip):

6. Computer/"Reader" (Tablet)/YouTube, etc.

Mowgli loves electronics, but not because of their incredible ability to teach him a variety of important life skills and knowledge, but because he can watch things like Nyan Nyan Cat over and over and over and over.... He generally likes watching 5 second pieces of his favorite shows on YouTube until he's in a trance, or laughing hysterically, whichever he decides is the mood of the day. Sometimes he watches total nonsense and sometimes he stumbles on things that he probably shouldn't, but get through any screening or blocking software because the person who created it on YouTube names the video in such a way that it doesn't get picked up. What did special needs parents do prior to YouTube? My guess is lots of drugs - because without continuous access to his favorite shows, I'm not sure we could keep Mowgli from total self-destruction on a day-to-day basis. Thank you two guys from YouTube who are billionaires now - as if you needed my thanks.

7. Swinging - I've mentioned this before, but the kid loves to swing. He loves the feedback that he gets (that nausea that you and I feel when we swing that - he craves). Again, like the computer, many summer days would have turned out far less positively if it weren't for the swing set (and the mini swimming pool).

8. Hugging - I've touched on this before, but it bears repeating since it is generally out of character for children with ASD to be super affectionate. Mowgli loves to hug, and we love to hug him. It is the best way for us to interact emotionally that doesn't involve crying or screaming.

9. Comfortable Clothes - Ever tried to build an entire wardrobe around athletic pants and "non-itchy" shirts (the consistency of that definition changes daily by the way)? Not fun, and after the age of 3, very difficult (just ask my mother, who has spent the better part of three decades trying to dress my father in this way). Regardless, my beautiful wife has found a way, again and again, to outfit our son comfortably, and fashionably. She gets a number of compliments about how well dressed Mowgli is, and she should, since it takes three times as long to find him clothes that work for him and yet it all looks so effortless.

10. Melatonin, Probiotics, and Bears....oh my - Having an autistic child take medicine is next to impossible, therefore making sicknesses even more unbearable for all parties involved. In addition to the occasional sickness are the day to day ailments that are specific to children with ASD, like problems sleeping, and GI issues. I would like to thank modern science for having the decency to put things like melatonin and probiotics in the form of gummy bears and chewable "candies". Without them, Mowgli would struggle daily with painful constipation (despite his love of beans and bean burritos) and would not have come out of his recent, two month "sleeping slump" where he refused to go to bed every night, and then slowly became overtired, at which point he would come apart at the seams emotionally and scream himself to sleep (rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat - every night). Now, thanks to those wonderful little hippie medicines, he's back on a consistent sleep schedule and quite regular (which is a nice way of saying "shits like a thoroughbred" - a quick thanks goes out to diaper companies for making sizes that are at least somewhat capable of containing such an unholy mess).

Though there are other things that Mowgli loves, these are the things that keep our little family sane, so if you're ever wondering what to get him for his birthday, just check this list and go for it.