Listening. Concentrating. Focusing. Listening. Concentrating. Focusing. Listening. Concentrating. Focusing.
All day long, my mind has to tear itself away from the thoughts that it wants to think about and lock into what people are saying: the teacher telling me about fractions; my school friend telling me how to play a new game they have just invented; my parents telling me how to behave in a new place. My mind gets really, really, really tired.
But that’s why in any free time I have, I like to day dream. I let my thoughts go and they walk (run) around my head. I think about all the things I haven’t had a chance to catch up on during the day: it could be thoughts of sports or books or the things I am going to get for Eid. It doesn’t matter what it is but it really relaxes my mind. Sometimes I keep something in my hand to hold when I am day dreaming. I find it comforting. At other times I like being outside in the fresh air. That’s comforting too.
When I have had a chance to day dream, my brain is fresh. And I can go back to listening, focusing, concentrating….If you get any free time you must day dream too.
Person with autism, age 11
