Well that was an eventful evening!Emilie takes medication to reduce some anxiety aspects of her autism, as does her sister. One of the side effects of this drug is the child becomes hungry. Unnaturally hungry - imagine an American who'd not snacked for half an hour and you get the picture! So - we've been trying to get her off the medication, especially as her weight is creeping up.
The results have been.................interesting!
Here anxiety is not too bad, but she will become, how can I put this, strange of an evening. Strange is relative with Em, but noctural wanderings at 2am, silently creeping about the house is unnerving, especially when you find her in the garage chanting.
Last night however escalated; she managed to find the house keys. I was sleeping on my good ear (never a bad idea) and didn't hear a thing, but Helen for some reason woke with that sixth sense and intuition that encouraged witch burning a few centuries back. Creeping naked downstairs, she found the front door open and the night blowing in. Panic rising, she dashed out into the cul-de-sac. Any of our elderly neighbours watching would have seen sights they last encountered during a more liberated age of swinging parties and LCD. Although in fairness, a hastily grabbed Lucie jacket probably covered the smaller blushes!
Fortunately Em was standing a few feet away in front of a neighbours car. Staring at it. Its a horrible colour but I offer no other explanation for the fascination. With a lot of coaxing and complaining, Helen persuaded her back in and managed to escort her back upstairs to bed. I was then posted on guard duty outside her door (reading Kindle). Eventually the strange chanting and complaining quietened to sounds of sleep and I crawled into bed - having hidden all the house keys and told the cat to guard the windows.
So there you are, our night escapades.
As for this evening - well it always sounds cruel, but the only thing we can do is lock her room door. Its next to ours, so we would be able to hear her if she sounded distressed and I'll just buy one of those weak, hook arrangements from B&Q today. Last time she did night time wandering she nearly set the house on fire 'baking' a cake. The electrics for the oven now work only via an isolator switch housed behind a combination locked door. We did this rather than lock her in. But now - well - I can't think of any other action. The dangers downstairs are too numerous to cover every eventuality and Em has the deviousness and patience of a long-term remand prisoner! So lock it may have to be.
Never a dull day or night here! Will keep you updated - thanks for reading. :-)
