KAREN REACHING AUTISM pt. 11
(Autistic author)
As they leave the room,
Plankton's sobs slowly
ease, the word search
book clutched to his
chest like a talisman.
The gentle hum of Karen's
wheels fading with
distance, he focuses
on the patterns of light
reflecting off the pages.
In the hallway, Karen
beeps with urgency.
"Sandy, Plankton's been
through a lot," she
explains. "He's
neurodivergent now.
He can't handle touch
like he used to, and
his senses are
heightened."
Sandy's eyes
widen with
surprise. "What
does that mean?"
she asks, her voice
a confused rumble.
Karen's screens
flicker with patience.
"It means his brain
functions differently
now," she beeps. "He's
extra sensitive to
stimuli, and certain
things that were
normal before can
now be painful or
overwhelming for him."
Sandy's gaze
softens with
understanding. "Oh,"
she says, her voice
a quiet rumble. "I had
no idea." She looks
back at Plankton's
closed door, guilt
heavy in her eyes.
"What can we do?"
Karen's screens
flicker with thought.
"We need to be
patient and learn,"
she beeps. "Adapt to
his new needs, and
support him in
his journey."
Sandy nods,
determined to
make it right. "How?"
she asks, her
voice a hopeful trill.
"We start by
respecting his
boundaries," Karen
explains, her screens
glowing with
sincerity. "No touching
unless he asks for it.
And we speak softly,
giving him time to
process what we say."
Sandy nods,
absorbing the new
information. "I can
do that," she says, her
voice a gentle hum. "But
what about playing?"
"Quiet games,
like word searches or
board games. No
roughhousing or poking.
I'm gonna go rest."
Sandy goes back to see
Plankton, his muffled
sobs in the quiet
space. Sandy's heart
aches with regret. "I'm
sorry, Plankton," she says,
her voice a tender
trill. She sits beside
his shaking form, her
hand hovering over
his shoulder before
thinking better of it.
Plankton's sobs
slow, his body
still tense. He opens
his eye, looking at
Sandy. "Words," he
whispers, holding up
the book.
Sandy nods,
her gaze gentle. "Words
it is," she says, her
voice a comforting
hum. She sits beside
him on the couch,
careful not to touch
his skin as she opens
the book to the next
puzzle. "What's this
word?" she asks, her
finger pointing to the list.
Plankton's eye
locks onto the word.
"Kelp," he murmurs,
his voice a soft
static. He traces
the letters in the
grid, writing it in
the crossword puzzle.
Sandy nods, her
eyes focused on the
puzzle. "Good job,"
she says, her voice
a gentle hum. "You're
so smart."
Plankton's antennae
twitch with a hint of
pride, his breathing
evening out. "Words,"
he repeats, his voice
a steady static.
Sandy nods,
understanding. "Words
are important to
you now," she says, her
voice a soft rumble
of support. "We'll
find more puzzles."
"We'll find more
puzzles?" Plankton
repeats.
Sandy nods, her
face a picture of
sincerity. "Yes," she
says, her voice a warm
trill. "As many as
you want."
Plankton's antennae
perk up slightly,
his interest piqued.
"More words?"
Sandy's smile is
a warm glow, her voice
a gentle rumble of
agreement. "As many
as you want, buddy."
Plankton's single
eye brightens at the
promise, his body
slowly uncoiling from
his protective ball. "Book,"
he whispers, his voice
a soft static. He points
to the next word. "Find."
Sandy nods, her
finger moving to the
list. "Okay, we're
looking for 'favorite food
of sea horses,'" she says,
her voice a comforting
hum.
Plankton's eye
flicks to the grid,
his mind racing. "Myr-
t-le," he stammers,
his voice a crackling
static.
Sandy's face lights
up with a grin. "You
got it!" she exclaims,
her voice a delighted
trill. She watches him
trace the letters, her
heart swelling with
pride.
He finds the word
quickly, his antennae
waving with excitement.
"Good job, Plankton!"
she says.
His body relaxes
slightly, his
enjoyment of the
word search evident.
Sandy's voice is
soothing as they
continue through
the puzzles, her
hands resting
carefully on her
knees. "What's this
one?" she asks,
pointing to
another word.
Plankton's eye
scans the list,
his antennae
quivering with
anticipation. "J-J-Jellyfish,"
he stammers, his
voice a nervous
static. The word brings
back memories of
his buddy, SpongeBob.
Sandy nods, her
smile gentle. "You got
it," she says, her
voice a comforting
hum. She points to
the grid. "Where is it?"
Plankton's antennae
twitch with excitement
as he searches the
letters, his single eye
darting back and forth.
"It," he whispers,
his voice a focused
static as he points
to the word hidden
within the puzzle.
Sandy's grin
spreads, her voice
a warm melody. "Great
job!" she praises, her
thumbs up in the
air.
Plankton's antennae
quiver with happiness,
his eye lighting up. "More,"
he whispers, his voice
a hopeful static.
Sandy nods, her
expression earnest. "As
many as you want," she
says, her voice a warm
trill. She opens the book
to the next puzzle, her
fingers hovering over
the page.
Plankton's body
uncoils further, his
interest piqued by the
promise of more words.
"Find," he whispers,
his voice a soft static.
He points to the
list of words to find.
Sandy nods, her
face a canvas of
understanding. "Alright,
what's next?" she asks,
her voice a gentle
hum.
Plankton's antennae
twitch with excitement,
his gaze darting over
the list. "Treasure,"
he murmurs, his voice
a hopeful static.
