Shopping , with someone with Autism

Best Dude & I are on a quest to find a tablet computer for him. Last year for Christmas  he bought me a NOOK Color tablet , and I love it. He, on the other hand , is searching for a tablet that is a lot less " e-reader" & more "professional".

Anyhow , today we went on our second search for a tablet for Best Dude. he pretty much knows which brand & style of tablet hat he wants , but the only place we've been able to find the particular tablet is ...WalMart

Yup.

Anyhow, today's journey took us to not one,but TWO different WalMarts.

One of the ways that autism manifests itself is those of us with the condition is issues with sensory "input". Many of us live with  either under-stimulated  sensory input or { more common & part of what I deal with daily} over-stimulation.

Bright lights literally hurt my eyes. Often, these stores are not acoustically-designed, so the noise comes to my ears simultaneously { I am extremely sensitive to auditory stimulation} Also, crows tend to make me fee like cortisone is flooding out my arteries & veins.

Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.

Shopping all day overwhelms me.  But, I've noticed that I cope with the over-stimulation of First World mega-stores better now than I've *ever*done in the past.  Shopping is not my forte, but in our society we cannot hunt, grow or manually create the goods we need.

I still cannot enter a Sams' Club or Costco without wanting to give into a " meltdown", but WalMart, Lowe's & other such " big box" establishments are now do-able.  Even if  I no longer experience actual " meltdowns", there are certain behaviors  that are indicative of my sensory stress. For example, I  twirl my hair.


I am, unlike many women, not a recreational shopper. My shopping methodology , if I had my dithers, would be
1. Make a specific list of what I need to buy.
2. Go to just the stores that might or do carry items sought.
3. Go directly to the department/aisle
4.Get what I need ,pay for it  get the heck out of the store.

Most people, unless they live with someone of autism, cannot comprehend the reality of sensory issues.  I know some people with autism who SEEK sensory stimulation & I am sure they also deal with issues similar to mine. But I can speak firsthand as someone who is sensory-AVOIDANT & our sensory-saturated society is challenging. However, the blessing I enjoy as a result of my autism far outweigh the struggles I deal with daily.

I am, as Temple Grandin's Mom said " DIFFERENT, NOT LESS."

Amen.