Because of the nature of what we do when we are working therapeutically with Tony in public, more attention grabbing behaviors from him can and will happen still…even if we are currently on an upward slope of considerable improvement. We are sometimes really pushing the boundaries of what he can tolerate. In stores right now, we’re rarely seeing self-harming, but if a location is more crowded than usual – and it’s already one of his less preferred stores for sensory reasons- we can still see that happen.

I often talk about the stores we work with Tony in because they have handled our presence with grace. They have seen our little man sometimes at his worst and most dramatic, and they have not once barred the doors. Even as things are often so much better that we aren’t really gaining much (if any) attention, because we still could, I always make sure I plan to visit stores where I will purchase things I would want or will use. Businesses that show us some loving deserve to keep us as customers and so they do. Sometimes we shop more for another member of the family (today’s Ulta visit was to replenish Hannah’s makeup kit) and sometimes I just splurge on something that I hope to enjoy (that’s how I ended up purchasing and reading Malice, it was on the 50% off table at Barnes & Noble a few months ago, but ended up loving the writing so much I paid full price for the sequel). The picture with this paragraph is of some of the books I got myself between last week and this week when we made our way through that location.

Sometimes it still takes a lot from me physically, the work we do in public. Today was the first time in approximately 3 years that we’ve stepped into a Bath and Body Works with Tony. The fragrance fumes are a lot for him, and visually this is a very overwhelming store. The line was intense…fifteen minutes worth of waiting. And to keep him calm and happy, I would lift his 126 pound cute self up and squeeze him tight. He would giggle, and immediately ask for more. I’m already feeling it…as I said, we were in that line for 15 minutes and I was lifting him enough so that his head went several inches above mine. So, now I’m going to go make myself some pumpkin and chia seed cream of wheat and spend a few minutes reading one of these books so that I can feel just a bit replenished before we head out and do a community safety overlap with Casandra.