AUTISM IN THE PLANKTON FAMILY v
(Autistic author)
Sandy had always known him as
quick-witted and sharp-tongued,
now he was a shell of his
former self, retreating at the
slightest touch.
Plankton's antennae twitched.
Karen stepped in, her voice firm
but gentle. "It's ok, Sandy.
We're all still learning."
Sandy looked at the plate of
cookies on the floor, regret
flooding her features. She
knew Plankton had liked her
cookies before, but now...
"I'm sorry," she murmured, her
voice thick with emotion. "I had
no idea." She reached for him
again, but Karen stepped in,
shaking her head gently.
"It's okay," Karen said, her tone
soothing. "But remember, he's not
the same Plankton anymore."
Sandy's hand hovered in the
air, her eyes pleading with
Karen for guidance.
Plankton's antennae continued to
twitch as he stared at the
floor, his body a tightly coiled
spring. Karen stepped closer to him,
placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay," she whispered to him.
Sandy looked at him, her eyes
filled with a mix of pity and
confusion. "Come on, Plankton,"
she said, her voice softening.
But Plankton's antennae remained
still, his gaze fixed on the
floor. Karen knew he was lost
in his own world, unable to
process Sandy's words through the
sensory overload.
Sandy tried again, her voice a
soft coo. "Look at me, Plankton,"
she said, her hand reaching out
once more. But Plankton flinched,
his antennae flattening against
his head.
"No," he murmured, his voice
trembling. "No."
Sandy's face fell, her eyes
wet with regret.
"I didn't mean to scare him,"
she murmured, her voice barely
above a whisper.
"It's ok, Sandy," Karen said,
her hand still on Plankton's
shoulder. "You just need to be
patient with him."
Karen took a deep breath, her
thoughts racing. "It was a fight
with Mr. Krabs," she said, her
words measured. "It...
changed how his brain works."
Plankton's more
sensitive to sounds, lights,
and touch," she explained. "And
his communication is different
now."
Sandy looked from Karen to Plankton,
her eyes filled with
understanding. "I'm sorry," she said,
her voice gentle. "I didn't know."
Hanna, who had been quietly
observing from the corner,
approached the trio, her gaze
filled with empathy. "It's okay,
Sandy," she said. "We're all still
learning."
The door burst open again, and
SpongeBob bounded in, his usual
cheerfulness a stark contrast to
the solemn mood in the room.
"Hi, everyone!" he exclaimed, his
spongey body bouncing with
energy. "What's all the hub..."
"SpongeBob," Plankton
exclaimed, his antennae
perking up slightly.
SpongeBob's eyes widened in
surprise at the rare display of
joy from Plankton.
The sudden change in Plankton's
demeanor was like a switch had
been flipped. His antennae
stopped twitching, his body
uncoiled slightly. "Sponge Bob,"
he said again, his voice a little
louder this time.
Sponge Bob looked at him with
wonder. "Hi, Plankton!" he said,
his eyes wide. "How are you
feeling?"
Plankton's gaze locked onto
Sponge Bob, and a tentative smile
spread across his face. "Sponge Bob,"
he murmured, his voice filled with
longing.
Sponge Bob's eyes widened with
surprise. "Plankton!" he exclaimed,
his usual cheerfulness amplified.
He moved closer to his friend, his
body language open and welcoming.
Plankton's antennae quivered slightly
as he watched Sponge Bob give
him a gentle pat on the back.
But Plankton didn't flinch this
time. Instead, his antennae curled
forward slightly, as if reaching out for
contact.
Sponge Bob, noticing the subtle
change in his friend, took a seat
beside him. "You okay, buddy?"
he asked, his voice a gentle
whisper.
Plankton nodded, his antennae
quivering with the effort to
stay still. "Sponge Bob good," he
murmured, his eye focusing
on the familiar figure.
Sponge Bob's touch was
comforting, a gentle reminder of
times when the world wasn't so
overwhelming. Plankton's
body slowly relaxed under the
warmth of the friendship.
Sandy and Hanna watched in
silence as Sponge Bob's gentle
presence seemed to soothe Plankton.
His antennae stilled, his body
unfurling slightly from its tight
coil of anxiety.
Sponge Bob, ever the optimist,
beamed at Plankton. "I brought
you some jellyfishing nets," he
offered, holding up a small
sack. "Thought we could go for a
catch, like old times!"
Plankton's antennae shot
straight up, his excitement palpable.
"Jellyfishing?" he asked, his voice
filled with hope.
Sponge Bob's grin grew wider.
"You bet, Plankton!" he exclaimed.
"Just like the good old days!"
Plankton's antennae quivered with
excitement. "Good," he murmured,
his eye lighting up. The mention
of jellyfishing brought back
memories of simpler times, before
his world had been turned upside
down. "Yes," he murmured, his voice
eager. "Jellyfishing."
Karen watched the interaction
between Sponge Bob and Plankton,
relief washing over her. She knew
how much Sponge Bob had always
meant to Plankton, and seeing
his positive effect was a
comforting balm.
Sponge Bob's presence had
calmed the storm of emotions and
sensory overload that had been
building within Plankton. He was
now sitting up straight in his
chair, his antennae waving slightly
with excitement.
Karen watched them, her heart
swelling with gratitude for Sponge
Bob. She knew that Plankton
needed friends who understood him,
who could navigate the choppy
waters of his new reality. She took
a deep breath, her eyes meeting
Sponge Bob's.
"Sponge Bob," she began, her
voice shaky. "There's something
important I need to tell you."
Sponge Bob looked at her with
concern. "What's up, Karen?"
Karen took a deep breath,
preparing to share the news. "Plankton's
been diagnosed with autism,"
she said softly.
Sponge Bob's smile faltered for a
moment, but he quickly regained
his composure. "What's that, Karen?"
he asked, his voice filled with
curiosity rather than fear.
Karen took a deep breath, her eyes
welling with tears. "It's a condition
that makes his brain work
differently," she explained. "It's like
his senses are on overload, and
sometimes, the world is just too
much for him to handle."
Sponge Bob's eyes grew wide with
concern. "Too much?" he echoed.
"But Plankton's always been so...
so...spirited!"
Karen nodded, her eyes
moist with unshed tears. "It's not
his spirit, Sponge Bob," she said.
"It's just that now, his brain needs
more time to process things.
And some things that didn't bother
him before are really hard for
him now."
Sponge Bob's gaze drifted to
Plankton, who was now playing with
a jellyfishing net, his antennae
still quivering with excitement.
"It was an accident," Karen
continued, her voice thick with
emotion. "A fight with Mr. Krabs."
"A fight?" he echoed, his
spongy body stiffening.
Karen nodded, her gaze
firm. "Mr. Krabs hit him really
hard," she said. "And it changed
his brain."
Sponge Bob looked at Plankton,
his eyes filled with a new
understanding. He reached out
his hand, and Plankton took it,
his antennae relaxing slightly.
"I'm here for you, buddy," he said,
his voice gentle.
"You can stay, but perhaps save
jellyfishing for another day." Says
Karen, as Sandy and Hanna left.
Sponge Bob nodded, his grip
on Plankton's hand firm. "Whatever
you need, Plankton," he said.