Everybody Shares Sometimes...

"Everybody shares sometimes." This, I believe is one of Dara's favorite saying right now. She always says it when she wants to play with my Ipad. Which is often. 

If she had a choice, she would play with my Ipad or her Ipod Touch 24 hours a day. Of course I don't let  her...but her radar is always on. She can spot a phone through a jacket pocket or even  in a purse sometimes. And if you are texting or playing on your phone...she will be very interested and start to look over your shoulder...even if you are a perfect stranger.

Dara playing with her Ipod Touch 

We are trying very hard to break her of this habit...but it has been tough. If you are the "target" of her desire the impulse and urge to see or experience whatever is happening on your phone (or ipad, ipod, whatever) is much greater than the urge to follow the rules. She just wants it and that is it. One of my dear friends (Elizabeth...we love you!) said something today that made so much sense and links this behavior to the fact that Dara has PDD (NOS). Dara just says and does what everyone else WANTS to...but doesn't. For example, she didn't want to stay at the park today so she just continued to tell me that she wanted to leave. "Are we done yet?" 'Can we go home now?" "I don't want to stay here." She just blatantly speaks her mind. 

It seems funny to discuss the fact that she wants to play with an Iphone as an element of her diagnosis of PDD (NOS). I mean, it's not really...but it what that desire symbolizes. So, when she wants to know what is on your "electronic device" she will just straight up ask you if she can see it and use it. Much of this "tell it like it is" behavior is a direct result of PDD (NOS) which causes her to have an altered perspective of the the world around her and how she should act in it. 

On the other hand... it is so fun to get a glimpse into how her brain works and how she can navigate through these devices. My friend Meredith came to visit us this summer and is now the proud owner of a Hello Kitty app purchased by Dara...lol. I hope it didn't cost too much. I have the app store password protected on her touch and my Ipad...and I have to hide my password from her so she doesn't buy whatever app she chooses. This is partially because she earns apps (kind of like allowance) for good behavior and making good choices and loses them (instead of time out or some other punishment) when necessary. 

So, if she walks up behind you one day...she is just interested in what your phone has to offer...just remember she doesn't mean for her persistence to be bothersome or intrusive she is just interested. That said, don't let her uncover your password!