Energies and Doorways

Although there are no two autistic individuals who are exactly the same, a person who spends a significant amount of time helping them navigate the world might start to see similarities.  I am in no way an expert, but what I have learned from my experiences may be of help to someone who is looking for some further understanding.
Something small:  People with Autism have a difficult time going into new rooms. Even more specifically, going through a door frame into said room.  I feel this is from anxiety.  They are unsure of what to expect in the new room and/or what kind of energy might be in there.  If the energy is too overwhelming, the child will be reluctant to go in.  This energy could be the kind when children have just gotten into trouble by the teacher, so they are quiet and uncomfortable; or maybe there is a substitute and the class is hyper and loud.  In my experience, it has been, more than lights or sound effecting the children.  I have found that giving the child the power to enter a room at their own cautious pace is much more comforting to them.  Let them know you are there....right there by them for comfort and support if need be, but let them open the door, then you hold it while they venture inside the room.  They may look to you for reassurance, and you can tell them it is OK   This technique works much better than opening a door and walking through it yourself while holding their hand...dragging them through at your own pace.  Even if this hasn't seemed to be a problem, the more and more rooms they are expected to enter and leave in a short amount of time could lead to a nasty meltdown when the child can no longer handle the anxiety of it all.
This also ties into routine, as I mentioned some about  in a previous post.  Children with Autism like to do things the same way every time they are presented with a situation because it eases their anxiety.  They like to enter a building through the same door every time, and take the same route to their destination every time. Some may argue that doing too much routine will give the children a false sense of security so that they will not be able to handle change when it occurs.  I would have to disagree.  In my experience, the more comforted the child is by the routine, because it eases their anxiety, they can better handle unforeseen changes.
Example:  I learned quickly when taking my autistic son to the grocery store, that he would meltdown and scream when we did not take the same route through the store to get our groceries each time.  I had to start near the door and weave my way through each and every aisle, making my way to the back of the store  where the cash registers were so we could check out and go home.  Forgot the ketchup??  We went home without.  The meltdown from going back towards where we had started would be so traumatic, it was definitely not worth it.
I took him to the grocery store with me twice a month and after he started to feel comfortable in our journey through the store, he became less anxious and I was able to try going back for a forgotten item.  I  would sing his favorite song or do silly swerves with the cart to distract him.  Soon, he became ok with little changes in his routine.  Now, at 15, he will follow me around wherever, but if we go "in circles" too many times, he will whine and tell me he is getting dizzy.
I suspect these children have an instinctive sense of direction.  I think circling can be calming on their terms....frightening when they do not feel in control of it.  It's almost like they have a map of point A and point B and if  they started at A they can't concentrate or be calm until they have reached point B.
A person who is helping an autistic individual has to be calm, reassuring and always listening to their energies as well.  They can tell when you are agitated, worried, busy.....and they will use it to their advantage. They will take their cues from you also to help them deal with the world.