When Noah Decides Social Time is Over

It is not often Noah finds someone outside the family worth his time. Yesterday was a rare event.

Susan, his longtime sitter and honorary family member, came over to watch him. She brought her nephew Logan, who is twelve, nonverbal, and has ASD. Naturally, I prepared for parallel play at best and mild chaos at worst.

Instead, the two of them actually coexisted. They shared matchbox cars, dug in the dirt, ate pizza, and remained in the same general vicinity for a couple hours. For Noah, this is basically a full blown social marathon. He usually prefers an audience, not a teammate, unless there is a puzzle or a very specific game involved.

When I got home, Noah was exhausted, which felt like a small victory.

Susan said she knew he had reached his limit after lunch when he politely dismissed her with, “Go away please.” She did not take it personally. She knows Noah. When he is done with people, he is done with people.

He has a system. If we are visiting friends, he puts on his coat and waits by the door like a tiny, silent Uber request. At church, if mass runs long, same move. Coat on. Exit plan initiated. No discussion.

So yes, completely normal Noah behavior.

But still, seeing him spend time with Logan, in his own way, on his own terms, felt like something worth noting.

Noah survives a couple of hours of social interaction, then politely ends it like a seasoned professional who knows his limits. Follow along on the blog and Facebook for more of life with Noah, unfiltered and on his terms.