We recently visited a local restaurant in our hometown. While there, a waiter approached our table and the closer he got, our three-year old began putting her hands on her ears, screaming, and burying her face in to her neck. She was crying horribly, so my husband had to pick her up and stand across the room until he was done.
This isn't a normal situation for us. During our discussion with the psychologist at our daughter's evaluation, he asked how she is in public because some children on the spectrum have a difficult time in stores, restaurants, etc. This isn't an obstacle for us-- our daughter typically does wonderful wherever we go.
We were kind of shocked to be honest. It was completely out of character. After he was done, she came back to the table, ate her meal, and she was content. However, if she saw him coming near again, she started losing control once again.
This was a few weeks ago.
We have been to numerous restaurants since then and she hasn't acted this way again. Waiter after waitress after waiter has approached our table and she's sat still, smiled, sang. Acted like herself.
Fast forward to this week. We visited a restaurant this week (different from the one mentioned previously) and the same thing happened. A waiter walked over to our table and she began to cover her ears, cry, scream. She was shaking uncontrollably. I started getting nervous... What if she panicked. We tried to reassure her that she was fine. We were right there, but she didn't take her eyes off of him and if he got close to our table, she began crying and covering her ears again. Other people approached our table with food and drinks.. She was fine. But this one waiter was causing her to be extremely fearful.
We eventually had to get to-go boxes and leave. She just couldn't handle the situation and it broke my heart that I couldn't calm her down.
I took her out to the lobby area and as soon as we reached the doors, she stopped. She started laughing and dancing. She was back to herself again. I was standing in entry way and from where I was standing, I could see the front desk area. I saw Ethan pay the bill and I saw the waiter from our table walk up front to the pay the bill. The closer he got to the front desk (which was right beside of the lobby) the more tayler began to get restless. She covered her ears, dropped to the floor, started screaming, and saying 'No no no no!' I grabbed her and hugged her. I was in shock because I could see him, but she was too little to even see over the window. There's no way she knew he was nearby-- she was strictly going by feeling.
As he walked over to the table, she started calming down. And then he walked to the back of the restaurant, and she was perfectly fine again. Ethan came out with the other two children and we left.
The entire trip home she was singing and laughing. She was our three-year old again.. Carefree and happy.
I know many claim children can 'see' spirits, ghosts, etc. I didn't know they could see 'bad' things though.. And that's what it seemed like.
It has me wondering if she's sensitive to things like this. It broke my heart because I've never seen her scared like she was that day (or the first day this happened.)
I wrote this blog mostly for my own memories.. A journal of our experiences with our three-year old. The good, the tough, the interesting.
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