Rise Up To Autism: Easter Bunny Break-Up

The Easter Bunny Break-Up.

When I was teaching Year One many, many, many years ago, Easter was one of my favourite times of the year. There was something special about the Easter bonnet parades, Easter craft activities, making Easter bunny footprints in the classroom, Easter songs ( Little Bunny Foo Foo was a personal favourite!) - followed by mysterious Easter visitors who would leave eggs on the children's desks. I can still remember their looks of sheer amazement, when we opened the classroom doors...... it was magical and beautiful!

Of course then, I adopted many of these traditions into my family, especially when my eldest son was young. I have photos of him dressed as a rabbit, picking up eggs, hopping around the house. (He would be so embarrassed right about now!) I would always set up a basket of eggs on Easter Sunday morning, accompanied with Easter Bunny footprints made out of powder up and down the hallway.

So I guess it should be no surprise that things changed when my youngest came along.

I do remember him, all of around 18 months old, sneaking through the spare bedroom cupboard, finding all the Easter Eggs I had stashed away. Let's just say, when I eventually located him..... I was missing one giant Easter Bunny and I had one very sticky, chocolate-covered son. I guess that was probably the last time he was receptive to the idea of the Easter Bunny. He has always loved the whole chocolate Egg thing.... a chocoholic! But when it comes to the giant white bunny, hippity, hopping down the road, my son becomes highly confused, basically gives me ....."what the ...confused" look, defensive and retreats. Reflecting back on those memories, he wasn't very receptive to the Bunny footprints either, opting to slide through them, spreading powder all over the house.

I can't really blame him though. I mean, is Easter really about a giant white rabbit delivering eggs across the world? This tradition is quite an obscure one, especially when we all know it should be a giant chicken.... right!

(Bunnies don't lay eggs!)

In all seriousness, these lovely, memorable, family traditions can create huge Autistic, sensory melt-downs in our home. The more I longed for normal Easter practices, the greater my son's reaction was. Fight and Flight, shutting down. When I refer to "fight and flight" - I am talking about his behaviour. Resisting what is going on around him, usually by squealing and banging his head on the floor or on a wall and flight - as in removing himself from the confusion, retreating and loosing him to his "Autistic World", blocking everyone out.

School can also be a nightmare during this time. All his peers are submerged in Easter activities. As my children attend a Catholic school, they are also involved in lots of Liturgies based on their belief. My youngest son doesn't really understand the meaning behind all the "festivities" in our church. He observes curiously, all the re-enactments of faith. But I have hope that one day, he will be able to reflect on the meaning of religion, and make individual decisions based on past experience.

This year, the whole school will be celebrating Easter by performing an Liturgy on the last day of the school term. The Year 7 children are all vying over major roles in the Passion Play, while the year 1 children will also be included. They will be waving palm leaves along the pathways, during a re-enactment of Palm Sunday. Now.... anyone who knows my son, will be quite amused over this whole concept. My child, armed with a giant Palm Leaf, basically spells out disaster ! I am certainly not saying that he is rough or aggressive in nature, nor would he deliberately hurt anyone. My boy just has one speed....fast'n'furious !

I wonder if they can put a crash helmet on the child who will be playing "Jesus" ? When I come to think of though.... 100, year 1 children loaded with giant Palm Leaves..... this is going to be one dangerous path to walk along. I can almost guarantee those Palm Leaves won't be waving gently in the breeze. They will become weapons of mass destruction!

Never the less, the change in routine, the excitement of the looming holidays, the Passion Play, all the buzzing energy during that last week of school.... will certainly result in an extremely unsettling week for my son. It's a change... and it will be, as it always has been, a difficult time for him to understand and get through.

I know most families who live with Autism find it difficult to cope with change and excitement. So we are certainly not the only ones. Let's not forget too, he attends a mainstream school. Activities like this are inevitable. At times like this, I have found it's best not to over plan or over-think the situation. We will just take little steps, slowing down, dealing with one day at a time. That is all we really can do.

For our family this year, the Easter long weekend will comprise of a visit to the grand-parents and playing hide and seek with a few eggs. As the boys are getting older though, and the focus is not on the big bunny, footprints and hiding chocolate goodies. For our family I think it's better not to create any more confusion.

That weekend would be a fantastic opportunity to focus on family, friends, barbecues, beaches, sunshine and golf.