Autism with a touch of humor…raw chicken and used tuxedo

I have read that individuals on the autism spectrum don’t have a good sense of humor. That oftentimes, the ability to take things very literally overrides the ability to see humor in a situation. But I am here to tell you that I see something different. I see a teenager that can keep me laughing without even trying. She has the ability to see something and make a literal joke, and come on, that’s just fun.

So, how does my granddaughter’s literal interpretation of humor tie into my title for this blog. Let me tell you.

I have two grand-dogs in my family. One is named Honor. Honor is an autism service dog. She is an amazing golden doodle and she is trained in weighted blanket and deep pressure therapy. When she is not doing her job, she is just a very comfortable member of the family. As you can see by her picture attached to this blog, she likes to lay on her back with her head on a pillow and nap.

My other grand-dog is named Gimlet. Gimlet is a boston terrier and a cranky old lady. She goes by the name Gimme. We are a family of nicknames, what can I say? She is also quite fond of napping. We are, first and foremost, a family of nappers.

Honor loves Gimme. Gimme tolerates Honor. My granddaughter loves them both.

Golden doodles are gorgeous; however, sometimes they require a trim of the coat to keep from getting overheated. Recently I was spending time with my granddaughter when I heard her calling out “come here raw chicken, come here used tuxedo.” Of course I had to ask. Who wouldn’t? What’s with the dogs’ new names? According to my granddaughter, when Honor is groomed she has the look of a raw chicken and Gimme, the cranky boston terrier just looks like a used tuxedo. Black, white and a little dirty. So she just gave them some new nicknames that fit their personalities better.

The unique perspective that she brings to humor is refreshing and funny. Humor and ASD can coexist. I’ve seen it firsthand.