Ottawa helps lost/missing autistic children

UPDATE: Here is a link to the Ottawa Police page about the Autism Registry.

A couple of points:

1. Thursday is World Autism Awareness day
2. Ottawa is establishing an Autism Registry, to help the police in finding autistic kids who have gone missing. Click here to read the CBC Ottawa article.

It is a terror we have endured too many times: Peter periodically "goes missing." Peter has Asperger Syndrome, a "mild" autistic disorder. While he is intellectually gifted in some areas, in other ways he is scarily "out of it." He misses cues, doesn't follow instructions that everyone else seems to get; he doesn't ask for help; he often comes up with illogical solutions to his problems. Furthermore he looks "normal" so people who would ordinarily help or watch out for someone with special needs, don't think to ask him if he is in trouble. Anyone who has read "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" (a fantastic book, by the way) will recognize this portrait.

One year, (I think he was 10 or 11), he followed a bunch of kids onto a school bus - not realizing that there were several different buses, each with a different route. When he was the last kid on the bus, he told the bus driver how to get to our house. By the time he got home, an hour late, the police were just driving up to our house. I was beside myself with fear over what might have happened to my little boy.

Another time, he got on the wrong bus and ended up in another town, waiting in a public park until we found him. After that, the school board conceded that he was elegible for special busing. Once, he decided to walk home, 2 miles in the dark, in winter, when his driver showed up with a different-colored van than usual. Although we had given him instructions and money for a phone booth, he didn't think to call home: he knew where home was, he just needed to get there. Again, the police were already at our house, ready to help us find him, trying to reassure me that he would be okay.

The fall we first moved here to Colorado Springs, Peter was teased at school and decided to run away back to Canada. I canvassed the neighborhood - no one had seen him. This time, when I called the police they said they wouldn't look for him, even with his disability, because he was able to "dress and feed himself." It was not until I told them I was worried he might be suicidal (he left an alarming note) that they decided to send an officer. (In the end, one of the neighbors I'd spoken to had decided to drive around and look for Peter - a little further afield than I had gone. Miracle: he found Peter. Scary miracle: Peter got in the car with this stranger who immediately brought him home. I can't tell you how much I thank God for that neighbor, whose name I never thought to get! I was just so grateful and stunned.)

As recently as this school year, he has wound up at the far south end of Colorado Springs by getting on the wrong bus. (At least now he has a cell phone and - fortunately - it was charged and working.)

But it is a fear I still live with: that Peter will "go missing" and we will not be able to find him before something tragic happens. We are moving back to Ottawa this summer, and I find it reassuring that we are moving somewhere where the police recognize that autism does present unique challenges when it comes to missing children - or adults for that matter. Just the same, I pray we never need to call on their aid.

Sunday-night Insomnia

Groannn. It happens to me almost every Sunday night: I go upstairs at a reasonable hour (9:30), brush my teeth, get into my jammies and read a book, hoping to feel drowsy at around 10:00. Doesn't happen.

Last night, both Steve and I tossed & turned, fussing with blankets and pillows. I even tried some relaxation exercises, to no avail. After a while, Brian came in and said he was scared, so I went and snuggled him in his bed. Often that will make me sleepy. This time: fail. (Though Steve had finally drifted into the land of slumber.)

So I got up and read a chapter of my new book ("Big Stone Gap" - good book, so far, but not great). I had a glass of wine and a sliver of cheddar. When I found myself feeling head-heavy, I climbed back upstairs and finally fell asleep at about 2:30.

Needless to say, it was brutally hard to get up when the alarm chirped at 06:30 this morning!

I've heard that Sunday-night insomnia is common as people get stressed out thinking about the coming week. What about you? Do you have trouble on Sunday nights? What tricks do you use to deal with it?

Whale-less whale-watching

I had hoped to be posting a picture of at least one whale, but unfortunately, we didn't see any whales today. We had a good time nevertheless, and we did see some dolphins, seals, and some obliging pelicans.

The day began early, foggy and cool as we made our way to Balboa Peninsula. It was a good thing we all wore sweatshirts or windbreakers as the wind made it quite chilly out on the water. The sun never really managed to burn off the fog while we were out.

Once on the boat, we made our way to the bow where Brian and I snagged plum spots right out front. First we saw some pelicans, then a very small group of bottle-nose dolphins. We took a short visit to some sea lions on a bell buoy before circling back and seeing a large group of common dolphins, then we made our way back to shore.

Too bad we didn't see any whales, but we did get a coupon for 50% off our next whale-watching trip. Maybe next time!

Looking forward to our week on the ocean

We're packing tonight and heading out to our timeshare in California tomorrow afternoon!

If I were writing this from Ottawa, I'd be saying that I can't wait for the sunshine, but since we're here in Colorado, sunshine is not the big draw. Instead, it's about downtime, spending time with each other, no "musts" on our to-do lists. We're packing board games, cards, beach blanket, and toys.

Well, except we do have one must-do: go whale-watching! I can't wait. I've never been whale-watching before, but I've heard it's wonderful and have been warned that I'll take a kazillion pictures, and that most of them will be taken too late. I promise not to post any truly dull photos.

As a postscript, Katie is doing much better now. She saw the doctor again and was given an anti-spasmodic for her tummy. That seemed to do the trick, though she says her shoulder has started hurting again, so who knows?

My baby needs her mommy

My 21-year-old baby, Katie, is at the hospital and may be having surgery this afternoon, and I am too far away to do anything to help her. But pray.

She called me this morning and told me about feeling nauseated all night (but not actually being sick) and having stomach pains and pain in her shoulder. She said she'd been constipated but had gotten over that. She's been struggling lately with what she thinks might be lactose intolerance. I suspected she was still constipated and suggested she take a laxative, have a hot bath and walk around. And asked her to call me later.

Fortunately for my wise daughter, when she got worse instead of better, she called TeleHealth Ontario, a free service where you can talk to a nurse and get advice on whether to see a doctor or not. The nurse told her to see a doctor, so she did. (Her boyfriend's mother came and drove them. Thank you, Tammy!) The doctor checked her out, including pressing on her where her gallbladder is. Katie screamed in pain! The doctor then told her to go to the hospital for further tests. It could be an inflamed/infected gallbladder, or it could be a gallstone. Surgery might be needed.

The last I heard from Katie she was waiting to be seen at the hospital. She said she'd call me again when she has access to a pay-phone. So I'm waiting and waiting, and feeling guilty that I'm not with my daughter when she really needs her mommy. And feeling guilty that I gave her such bad advice. (I certainly didn't know that shoulder pain was a real symptom; we both thought it was a red herring.)

Nothing to do but wait and pray. And thank God she called TeleHealth.