Shopping with Lincoln

Lincoln has spent the last couple years in his stroller at most outings because he runs off, plays with things that he shouldn't, etc. So we keep him in the stroller and usually have distractions for him, iPad, video player, random toys, suckers on hand (reinforcers) Otherwise it gets a little crazy! Today we too...k him to Wal-Mart with the others and let them all pick out a toy. I let him out of the cart, he walked all the aisles and wanted to hold my hand. He would look at toys and then put them back when done. At one point, he wanted ABC blocks. I told him he couldn't have those. (He gets obsessed with ABC's, shapes and numbers, so I am trying to broaden his horizons). He put them back without a fight and kept looking. He picked up another toy that was too expensive, I told him no it costs too much. He put it back willingly. Finally he found what he wanted and put it in the cart and said, "I want to climb like a monkey" (He still uses a lot of describing for some of his language) as he was trying to get back in the cart. On the way to the cash register, I found a ship that I knew he would like better and gave him the choice, he chose the ship. We paid for his purchase and went to the car. He sat with the toy in the box the whole way home for at least 30 minutes. He would ask for me to open it and I would tell him when we got home I would. He just said, "OK!" If you don't know much about kids with autism, this is rare behavior for us. In the past he would have been running all over, screaming when he didn't get his way and would have never put those ABC blocks back because he would have been so obsessed. He would have never been able to ride home without wanting that toy and screaming and pitching a fit because he didn't understand waiting. What a successful day for Lincoln, some things are finally getting easier. Thank you Jesus!