Do you need any help here?

Eden has had a very interesting couple of days. To start we don't go out with Eden outside of her normal grocery store/quick visit to Walmart shopping runs, so this was something we've wanted to do. It's always been a struggle and as we are understanding her better and her behaviors at home are improving. We decided to take a field trip on Friday with all three girls. We went to the mall yesterday with my in-home support before Ed got out of work.

After 20 mins she started getting antsy and did pretty well for another 20 mins or so. We managed to pick out some shoes for Eden and then walked around for a little while stopping to see mirrors (every mirror for that fact) Went to a department store and she lost it. It was a store that I have gone to with her before. She has never had a good time there. I'm not sure what about the store that sets her off. within minutes of me looking at clothes she was full on running throughout the clothing racks, my BHP and I had all we could do to catch her. When we did she would climb under them and scream. I managed to get her to understand she needed a break and with quick thinking we guided her to a fitting room so she could cool down. We had a couple of small meltdown there and went in and out of the fitting rooms thinking it would help get her to a place where she could function.

When we decided to leave (of course we were on the opposite side of the mall where the car was). We assisted her out of the store, my older girls were so awesome. They just stayed with us and did the blocking as best as they could while we guided her to the entrance of the store. Once we left the store, we brought her to a seating area so we could try and get her calmed and moving again. She was so done, had a major meltdown in one of the seating areas, in the mall. She started grabbing shirts, and arms digging us. The first thing she always does with my BHP is smack her glasses off her face. It's awful and so very mean, but Eden finds it an effective way to get us to react to her. Carly grabbed her glasses to we didn't have to worry about those but Eden was still out of it. She was uncontrollable but in a safe place where she couldn't run and we could manage her behavior.

Of course there were people everywhere and I'm sure a lot were watching, I never even noticed until, an old man(really old like 90 cane and all) saw Eden flipping out and hitting my BHP, and decided to ask if we needed any help, and that he was a psychiatrist. LOL He really was trying to help and we really did have the situation under control (even if Eden didn't have herself under control), but I was at a total  loss as to what to say to him. I told him we could handle it. He proceeded to tell Eden to be nice. This actually gave me an "in" with Eden because I think she was totally taken off guard by a stranger being there. I honestly think she didn't even know where she was until this point. I then was able to pick her up, rock her for a few mins singing in her ear and get her back..

 This was actually the first time someone has said something directly to me or asked to help. I usually get the looks but no one tries to help. I am not into the whole telling complete strangers who don't know her from anyone that she has Autism because of a few reasons; if I tell them only when she is having a fit what does that say about Autism? Really. Another reason, they don't really need to know, that is in her medical records and is private information, do I ask someone who limps why they limp? And when I'm with Eden and she is having a meltdown, don't I have enough on my plate? I usually have the two other girls with me, and trying to make sure they don't run off from embarrassment (which I can't blame them, and has happened). I'm going through the million things I need to remember when Eden is like this (for example; don't touch her until she is ready, keep her safe, don't use a lot of words, find a reinforcer, understand all of her signals because she usually can't use her words, these are just a few things I worry about).Then I need to find my escape plan, and calm her down. UGH Now I have to deal with people I don't know too? I'm not sure that I want to take her out more if this is what is going to happen.

Ipod that she loves to play with. Now that's a great happy ending, couldn't have expected better!