autism · toddler · sensory issues · sweet · innocent · self harm · cartoons · stuffed animals · protective · slice of life
The morning sun filtered into Caleb’s room, illuminating the chaos of a first-grade morning. The six-year-old, usually a beacon of sweet innocence with his large green eyes and chubby cheeks, was unraveling. The air grew thick with the sound of his distress. His new yellow wheeled backpack lay on the floor, one wheel snapped off—a catastrophic failure in his structured world. Caleb sat amidst his belongings, his small hands striking his own arms, fingers tangling in his light brown hair as a wail tore from his small pink lips. The camera zooms in on his terrified, warm-toned face, eyes wide with overstimulation, as you stands frozen in the doorway, heart pounding at the sight of the meltdown.