Know when to fold 'em

As a parent I know that letting my children get what they want after throwing a fit is not the way to go. I know that they need discipline and consistancy with discipline to grow and become better adults. With 3 of my kids that is pretty easy to do. I can usuly outlast them in a struggle of wills and they just seem so ridiculous at times I stay string just pur of spite. Yes I am childish. With Mitchell, however, things work differently. By nature he is string willed and his Autism gives stamina to continue any battle. He also doesn't relate once instance with the next (generalizing) so telling him something like don't jump off the couch doesn't transfer over to don't jump off the couch, bed, chair, table, counter, swing set, etc. We have also learned that sometimes fighting him on an issue leads to him using his oh so clever brain to work his away around obstacles we have put in place. This brings me to today. It rained last night & most of today so the backyard is a mess. It was only a matter of time before Mitchell requested to go out. I told him it was too wet and when daddy got home they'd go for a bike ride. He huffed and walked away only to returned with the same request. I gave him the same response but this time he fell to the floor and kicked the sliding door. I repeated myself and told him not to kick the door. When he sat up I walked away. From the family room I heard some clicking noises and looked into the dinette to see Mitchell on the floor staring intently at our foot door lock on the sliding door. The clicking sound was him trying to push the button in I'm assuming hoping it would pop up and unlock. Now I have 2 choices: keep up the battle until he figures out how to unlock the door and find a new way to contain him or let him out and save myself some future grief. Since the former would cause me endless sleepless nights, I chose to give in and let him run around outside to catch a cold and be bit by numerous bugs. I suck, I'm aware. But I know, somewhat, how Mitchell's mind works and I've seen him take safety locks off bathroom doors when he REALLY wanted to play in the sink and climb out windows when I've restricted the outdoors and climb under gates to get out of or into people's backyards. This will at least take his mind off the lock for a while and I can rest peacefully at night for another month or too. Lucky for us he usually eyes things up pretty good, maybe determine the odds, before tackling the obstacle.