Something my husband and I have been struggling with is understanding what falls under typical toddler behavior versus what may be influenced by our son’s autism. I know it is not a either or situation, and that both realities can exist at the same time, but sometimes autism can feel so front and center that we forget he is still a toddler navigating toddler sized emotions.
Our son is around level 1/2, and will be 4 years old soon. He can communicate many of his needs, though he still struggles to express feelings or explain frustration in the moment. Some days the meltdowns feel nonstop, one trigger after another. Other times, we can go a full week with little to no major incidents. That inconsistency can be confusing because it makes it hard to know what is developmental, what is sensory, what is communication based, and what is simply a hard toddler day.
This morning a perfect example. He woke up asking for French toast. I said, “Let’s go, mommy just needs to use the restroom first.” He completely lost it.
I think one of the hardest parts of parenting a child with autism is not always knowing which lens to use. Can anyone relate? Did it get easier with age? Any advice?