Neurotypical Page #2

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He said, "Mom, I want you to

continue and encourage your son

in building these systems.

This is how he understands

the world,

so you're gonna have to

encourage him."

He says, "Now, Wolf,

I want you to

continue to build

the systems."

He says, "Now, Mom, when his

systems go outside

of society's norms,

I want you to tell him

so he can, you know,

chop that piece off.

And keep him inside

of the norms.

And, Wolf, when she tells you

to take a piece apart,

or take it apart, take it apart

and rebuild it."

He said, "And keep rebuilding it

until you can rebuild it

into something that works

in this society."

And I've been doing that

ever since.

What's this?

What's that?

-Four!

-What's that?

GIRL:
Seven.

-What's that?

-Five.

-What's that?

-Nine.

-What's that?

-Six.

-What's that?

-Two.

-What's that?

-Three.

-What's that?

-Eight!

-What's that?

-One.

High five!

Yes!

[Laughing]

[Woman inhales]

[Exhales]

[Girl inhales]

[Woman inhales]

Boo!

[Girl shrieks, giggles]

[Playing somber tune]

We're kind of whittling it down

to the ideal for her,

of like no dairy and all.

Something to help her rigidity

and just being really open

and not treating her like

she has a disability.

WOMAN:
The medication was a huge

decision, too.

We thought about that

for months.

Are we gonna put our

three-year-old

on antidepressants?

It just seemed crazy.

MAN:
There's an element of not

being able

to go back after that.

That's what I was always

worried about,

is that, okay, we're going to

put her on this,

and is there any turning back?

Is there any stopping?

WOMAN:
Right, she might be on it

for the rest of her life.

And, in fact, a lot of

autistic adults

take one or more medications

to help them

cope with their anxiety

and cope with depression.

VJ was at a point of frustration

when we lived in Louisa

where I'd come home from work,

and she would cry to me, like,

every day.

And something was wrong --

and she knew it and I knew it.

So -- and I had always battled

depression really badly, too,

but I'd never gotten on

medication for it.

So she goes to the doctor

and gets a pill,

and then, like, a week later,

she's like, totally -- not

a totally different person,

I'm not gonna say that.

But she's not -- she's happier,

and, like, just more even.

You know, and I was like,

"I need me some of that."

[Laughter]

[Laughing]

WOLF:
There's some people that

use medication

as a chemical straitjacket,

and that's always wrong,

especially with autism

because, with autism,

you have tantrums.

And I'm still pretty good

at tantrums.

I don't think

you ever lose it.

But when I was a kid,

I was especially good.

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