Autism does not mean handicapped

This post is to show that if you extend the leash a little bit and show trust in your aspie that responsibility and every day activities could be achieved.  Last weekend was the annual Ox Roast in Mesopotamia, Ohio.  This is 3 day event in which vendors set up and sell items while the fire department cooks and sells beef.  Grandma has been setting up there for at least twenty years and David has been going since he was a little over one.  Around May, David is extremely excited about this even because that's when he gets to help Grandma go through the containers and decide what is going and what is staying home and cleaning out the camper.  This year David wanted to stay with grandma and grandpa on Wednesday to make sure that he would be able to go up with them on Thursday to set up.  David helped set up before my wife and me got there and we helped finish putting everything on the tables.  Usually David will stay up there with my wife and me to help grandma close up and get ready in the mornings, however this year David said that he would just stay and help grandma.  On Friday, they both woke up at seven and uncovered and got ready for the day, then grandma had David walk down to the "End of the Commons" general store for some ice and she gave him a few dollars.  David made it to the store, spent some time in the ice house because it was hot outside, then came back with the ice and exact change.  Grandma also had a rack with necklaces and a basket of ear rings that she let David sell for one dollar a piece.  He did a great job selling and was polite to the customers and even made some recommendations to try to attain more sales, and sometimes that worked.  At the end of each day we all helped close up then we tried to have David come home with us, he then asked if we would be back by seven, when we told him no he said that he would just go home with grandma so he can come back with her and help her set up in the morning as he felt that it was his responsibility.  Grandma also left David in charge of her stand a couple times, although it was only for a few minutes while she went to the stand two stands down or went inside to make sandwiches but she still made him feel big because he was in charge.  With that said, as long as you show your aspie or autistic child that they can be responsible and let them out on their own they will believe that and i think that enforces great life skills.