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BAPS NEWS
Power Cut
One of the problems that can cause
great upset in the winter is the loss of electricity. You
sit down in front of the TV at 9pm and the power goes off!
All the lights go out and it’s dark – very dark!
If you have an autistic child he or she will probably not
like having no lights, no heat, no music, and no normality.
What happens now? All hell breaks loose that’s what!
You start to scramble around for the torch which you meant
to buy new batteries for the previous day, which your
children have taken and hidden under the bed right in the
corner where you can’t reach in the daylight never mind in
pitch black power cut light. So you pull the curtains across
to let in any stray ambient light from outside. You still
can barely see. Your children are up, they are crying, they
want light, they are distraught – where’s the torch? Your
autistic child is up, they are in a bad state, what’s going
on, where’s the music, where’s the nightlight, I can’t see
anything, help, “I’m frightened, I’m scared!”
You find some candles, light one and use a cup to hold it
with wax – it won’t stick, you can’t see, you get it lit and
stuck then dig out another and light it from the first
candle. You see a torch, it lights! Then goes out – the
batteries are dead. Your autistic child is upset, clinging
to you, “I’m scared!” “Why is there no power?”,“Why is there
no light?” “Why has the radio gone off – I need my music!”
Then your other child
who’s lying in bed sick with a stomach bug, lurches forward
and throws up all over the floor, it’s all over the place -
you can’t see where you’re walking, the candles are burning
– you can smell the smoke, but the flame looks close to the
curtain – it might catch fire! Your autistic child wants
music now or they are going to explode, you look for an old
radio and manage to insert some batteries, but you can’t see
how to switch it on, the buttons are so small and unmarked;
finally it works, you give it to your child to take to bed.
They need to hear music to sleep. An hour has passed – no
light, no heat, candles burning, alarms going off in the
distance, no hope!
Your autistic child
still won’t go to bed; there’s a candle in the room for
light, candles all over the house; you only have one torch –
you need to save the battery power in case the power stays
off all night – it has done before.
You can’t phone up the power company because your phone is
cordless and needs power to work - anyway you wouldn’t know
the phone number and you can’t check the web for power
companies in Bury because there’s no power.
Then the lights come
on! Your telly starts up, the washing machine whirrs into
action.
You can hardly believe it; you were ready for a long dark,
cold night – like the last time. But hang on, maybe the
power will go off again…leave the candles burning, just in
case. Half an hour later, it’s safe, you can relax, and the
power cut is over this time.
Check the web for Battery Powered
LED lights, you will need them!!
Christmas is here!
(A.M)
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