Maddie at 2.

A pretty consistent element that impacts people on the spectrum are sensory issues. The lights and sound of a store can be overwhelming. Maddie loves to go shopping, but things can turn at any moment, so you have always be able to improvise.

One of Maddie’s all-time favorite people is her school bus aide, Lynn. She is awesome with Maddie and has been having drive home conversations with her for a year now. Earlier this year, we surprised Maddie by going to Lynn’s other place of employment, JC Penney. Maddie had been discussing with us that she wants to work at Penneys someday. We guessed this had mostly to do with her wanting to be by her friend, Lynn.

When we got there, Maddie was stemming like crazy, as her body seemed like it was ready to burst at the seams. When we got to the makeup counter, we had to be slow about having her see Lynn, as the excitement was initially too much for her to take.

After Lynn did a makeover of Maddie’s sister, Mallory, it seemed time. Unlike Mallory, Maddie has little interest in makeup, but Lynn was able to apply some lip gloss to her lower lip. As you have read here, any event like this takes major planning, as it can all go wrong quickly. This one went well, as we got out of there soon after.