Hi we have an Autistic grandson now 13, what is classified as 'High End' as most of his problems are down to emotional immaturity. Like we have a 13 year old with toddlers temper tantrums and associated sense of reason and patience.  But whenever he is in Belize he is so noticeably different. He is less demanding, hardly any problems with behavior, Little to none of his anger and swearing problem , he is just the Adorable boy he is 80% of the time in the US, but in Belize that is 99% of the time.Â
We believe it is because he is not over stimulated, In the US he is constantly asking what next, and then. He loves the Mall but he is like a ball in a pin ball game going from store to store. He NEED to see his immediate future planned out. His next Belize visit is at thanksgiving, already has the places he will be wanting to visit written down so we all know that the first night we will be eating at his favorite place and when we will be going over to the farm to check on all the animals and go horse riding.
Our biggest worry for him both here and in Belize, is that he has no 'Fear' of anything and also should he get lost, he does not answer questions. I know that sounds odd when he is very chatty and shows no speech problems, and is just another kid in so many ways. He really doesn't answer questions when asked directly, so our fear if lost and any one was to ask him where he needed t be or where his family were he would most likely shut down and become scared and panic. Last visit he did go 'missing' from the house for a coupe of hours no one had seen him we have builders on the land and no they had not seen him but then SHHH someone might have heard a voice,, we found him in a corner of the under house storage area with two dogs telling them the stories that he usually makes into his Go-animate movies when at home. The dogs seemed happy and attentive even the Stupid dog that usually barks at everything.
We also think that the much more "natural" diet we have in Belize can't hurt, the fast food places just are not there so he eats home made from scratch versions of his fast food favorites, (wish we could avoid them in US too) , which he finds acceptable and enjoys. His parents and we his grandparents all wish we could have got him spending more time in Belize from a much earlier age, the hold over of better Behaviors is getting better each time he returns, his school noticed it initially and commented that from first being a hold over for maybe 1 or 2 days,this spring his principle said the whole following week was great, and into the next one also.
It is not the worst thing in the world if you have a child that is on that autism spectrum, Our grandson is virtually unable to lie even when he knows he is going to be in trouble, he shares anything he has, he loves giving gifts, last year when they had a food drive at the local supermarket with ready made food bags at $10 each he, over the 10 week period donated 17, for which he actually spent his own pocket money for most of them taking it from his piggy bank before we left home, asking Me or whoever he was shopping with to make up the rest when he didn't have enough. Talking with his parents when they were deciding if he should try some of the drug regimes that 'May' improve his Behaviors we came to the agreement he was his own unique person, and we LIKE, as well as love this person, so nix the drugs, and get him into Belize for longer periods.