“Detour, there’s a muddy road ahead. Detour, paid no mind to
what it said. Detour, oh, these bitter things I find. Should have read that
detour sign.” ~ “Detour” by Paul Westmoreland
In last week’s blog entry, I described how Alex became
agitated during music therapy and responded by pounding on the therapy room door.
Essentially, he was probably trying to communicate that he wanted to get out of
that room. He was overwhelmed by sensory stimuli––nearly falling out of his unsteady
chair and adapting to a new fan––along with having to wait while listening to
others’ concerns about the office bathroom being out of order. After
redirection to use his hands to play bongos instead taking out his frustration
on the door, he was able to calm himself and finish the session successfully.
Although I could have dismissed that situation as an
isolated incident, I know Alex well enough to be certain that he would have
trepidation about the next music therapy session. Not wanting him to use the
door for a percussion instrument again, I considered ways to prevent a repeat
performance. As Alex’s parents, Ed and I have always tried to smooth his path
in life by removing any obstacles we can and by preparing him for those we
cannot remove. However, we also know that life often presents sudden detours
that he may have to endure.
When Alex was younger, he would become anxious if he saw a
detour sign along the road. He knew this meant that his beloved routine routes
would change, and that made him fret. To ease his concerns, I would remind him
of an old song my dad likes to sing. From the back seat of the car, we would
hear Alex imitating Grandpa by singing in a deep voice, “Detour, there’s a
muddy road ahead…” Somehow singing about the detour calmed his fears and made
him less worried about having to change course.
If a simple song could help him cope, I knew that Alex could
learn other ways to deal with situations that take him by surprise. During his
behavioral therapy session last week, we discussed with his therapist the
circumstances that led up to Alex getting overwhelmed at music therapy. While
his therapist sympathetically understood why Alex had become upset, she also
helped him to understand that he can control his reactions when he feels out of
control. After working with Alex for more than five years, she not only knows
him well, but she also knows how to bring out the best in him.
As she went through the chain of events that led up to his
upset, she offered him ways to keep himself calm through deep breathing,
repeating positive affirmations (Alex’s favorite: “Everything will be all
right.”), and asking for help. By asking him questions, she was able to discern
what was really bothering him. No, the new fan did not upset him; in fact, he
liked it. Yes, he was upset about the chair tipping and worried that he might
fall. In addition, she discovered something he had not told me: the room was
too hot. Since Alex is very sensitive to temperature changes, that alone could
have set him off.
After getting input from Alex, she and I worked with him to
brainstorm ways to make the next session better for him. Since the heat seemed
to bother him, I told him that he would wear a short-sleeved shirt instead of a
long-sleeved shirt for the next session. In addition, since he didn’t like having
to wait, we would plan to get there right before the scheduled time instead of
a few minutes early. Finally, his therapist, who is familiar with the music
therapy office from having meetings there, suggested asking his music therapist
to bring a chair from the conference room. She remembered that those chairs
were sturdier than the folding chair in the session room and less likely to
tip. After talking with her, both Alex and I felt more confident about going to
the next music therapy session.
Because Alex’s music therapist has also worked with him for
more than five years, I knew that he would be flexible about making changes to
help Alex. After sending him an email explaining Alex’s concerns and the
potential solutions we had brainstormed, he immediately called me on the phone
and enthusiastically agreed with our ideas. Moreover, he had a better
suggestion: instead of moving a chair from the conference room, he would move
Alex’s sessions to the conference room. Since that room is larger and has a
table for Alex to set his drink, as well as sturdier chairs, he thought the
conference room would be a good change. If the new setting did not seem to
help, he kindly offered to resume providing Alex’s therapy sessions in our
home.
After telling Alex about the new venue for music therapy, he
seemed a bit nervous about the change. However, I explained the advantages of
the conference room, and he was willing to try. Just to make sure we were aware
he wasn’t thrilled about this detour, he waved “the claw,” a gesture he uses to
let us know he’s not happy by lifting his arm, bending his wrist at a 90 degree
angle, and shaking his hand in the air in a way reminiscent of the 80’s “Walk
Like an Egyptian” dance. After waving “the claw” once at me and once at his
music therapist, he was cooperative, and his therapist described the session as
“fantastic” with no other negative behaviors. Alex had detoured into the
conference room and decided the new route was more scenic than the old one. By
being understanding and willing to accommodate Alex’s sensory issues, his
therapist was rewarded with a cooperative client.
Since autism and anxiety make navigating life more difficult
for Alex, he relies upon the adults he trusts to help him cope with circumstances
that make him nervous. We are certainly blessed to have a wonderful support
team of professionals who not only sympathize with our concerns but who also
actively seek ways to make Alex’s life easier and to teach him how to deal with
the unexpected situations that make him uneasy. Sometimes, something as simple
as changing setting can make a difference, assuring Alex that, indeed,
everything will be all right.
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