Autism - Hitting Home

The supper table was set with a southern feast. A spread of fried cabbage, corn casserole, garden peas, fresh tomatoes, macaroni and cheese, barbecue pork tenderloin, and fried okra lay before our famished eyes. My eyes grew in anticipation and my stomach growled. From my nine year old niece politely came, "It looks good maw maw." My thirteen year old nephew sat quickly down without speaking and began dipping his plate.

My nephew, Astor, went directly for the macaroni and cheese. After each dip he licked the spoon completely clean and grabbed another spoonful.

His little sister complained, "Astor, don't lick the spoon and put in back into the bowl! You know you're not supposed to do that!"

Astor ignored her and continued dipping the way he pleased. My niece, Brenner, looked at me and shook her head in exasperation. "He never listens to me."

I sat and watched as they filled their plates and my mom ran around in the kitchen trying to get the rest of the food to the table. Astor didn't seem to want anything but the macaroni and cheese so my mother stopped and took the bowl from him and handed it to Brenner.

"Here, Astor, you need some peas," my mother said taking a spoonful and plopping them down on the plate beside the macaroni and cheese. Oops. This was the wrong thing to do.

"NO, you mixed the pea goop in with my mac and cheese. OH NO. OH NO. The pea goop is getting in my mac and cheese and making it gross."

My father heard the upset cry from Astor and quick reaction on his part saved the day. Not another word was heard.

Throughout the meal idle chatter commenced. Brenner told me about her pet crab and how she had forgotten to feed him before she had come to visit us for the week. I asked her if she was jealous about not getting to go to Paris with her parents and she replied that she was not. I asked Astor the same and I received no response. Astor did talk throughout the meal but only to himself.