Ten Random Things About Billy Ray

A few weeks ago I was "tagged" by Lora to tell Ten Random things about myself on my blog. I thought I would continue the tag by telling Ten Random Things about Billy Ray (written after a night of little sleep – sorry) and tagging Lora, Tina, Suzanne and Kiralea to share ten random things about their Autistic child or otherwise complex child.

1. Billy Ray will wake up several times during the night (even with sleep medications) and nap for long periods of time when his paid support staff is here and I can’t go back to bed.


2. He is most likely to request whatever food item I am out of and not accept that the store is closed at the moment.


3. His repetitive questions require the same answers even if the answer is illogical. For example, he has been asking me half the night of last night where Heidi. Heidi (director of special education at his old school district in Silverton, Oregon) was probably home sleeping (at least I hope so) but he had to be told she was in her office. In a sense, my son forces me to lie to him.


4. He has his own time clock. He can’t accept that appointments won’t wait, stores won’t stay open or church services keep singing until he gets whatever he wants dealt with at home.


5. He is going to be the most noisy when I’m on the phone. I can make calls when I think he is occupied with support staff. Somehow he knows and will come into my office drowning out the phone conversation.


6. He names his clothes. Just when we adjust to what item of clothing he is talking about he changes the name.


7. He is happiest wearing three ties (a tie with a lighthouse friends gave him, a blue clip on that he calls “Raymond’s tie” because it reminds him of his deceased Dad and a bolo western tie).


8. His favorite music is the “oldies” and the Bill Gaither Vocal Band (religious).


9. He can rearrange the sequence of his activities but if family or support staff change the sequence it doesn’t work.


10. He is only aggressive towards those he trusts.
11. Oops. I can't resist an 11th one -- he can melt his mother's resistence with his smile and he knows how to use.

Until tomorrow,
Peggy Lou Morgan
http://www.parentingyourcomplexchild.com/
http://www.lighthoueparents.com/