Apparently that all depends on who you're asking.
If you're asking Sam then you'll most likely hear blood-curdling screams coupled with intense head shaking and the word, "No" repeated over and over again. I have tried to explain to Sam why the commercial is funny and it seems nothing I say will sway his reaction.
This morning the same commercial came on and immediately a light bulb went off in my mind and I realized that Sam's reaction is actually quite common for those on the spectrum. Most individuals with autism want everything they know to remain in a specific framework. Chickens cluck, Cows moo, and goats try to eat your clothing. To say a person with autism experiences life in black and white would be an understatement. Gray areas can and will make them both uncomfortable and anxious and it just so happens anxiety is something I know quite a lot about.
Case in point... I hate spiders. Their fuzzy eight legs and multiple eyes make me scream like a little girl and if you try to make me touch one or look closely at one even from behind a glass wall I will run the other way. In fact, just the thought of them make me anxious and I begin to feel as though small creatures are crawling on my arms and legs.
Therefore, when I replace the adorable fuzzy animals on the Cadbury egg commercial with a big, black, hairy spider wearing bunny ears and clucking it all comes full circle and I understand why Sam dislikes it so much.
So, from here on our we're muting the TV during commercials, spiders both real or imagined are banned from my home, and on the next trip to the petting zoo I will not wear my favorite shirt.
Problem solved.
