Heres looking at you kid!!!

Hi,



been having a fun half-term with my boys. Took time off work for quality time and loved it. Have to say that the light switches are still a favourite but another trait has slowly arisen.............reflections!!!! Looking in a mirror or a shop window is a source of wonder to my special one. He will stare at himself and move slowly sideways, sometimes looking at his back, and then looking away and looking back very quickly as if to try and catch the reflection out. I was told this would happen at some point by a friend who is on the spectrum but a few years older. It's like having a crystal ball as they also hinted we may have issues with flies and switches. Who knows what is coming up and in a way I don't want to know as I cant imagine it will be a positive thing.



Anyway, after reading the blog of Josh, his thoughts on what inspires him got me thinking. Mine is kind of in a reverse way to his. My folks are simply awesome and have made the person I have become. However, looking at, loving and living with my wife and children is what is making me a man.

My special one son is my biggest inspiration when I have down moments. I simply think of him with a teacher trying so hard to say one word or command, for hours on end until he understands its meaning, can actually say it and knows when to use it. Sometimes its too hard to watch as the struggle brings tears to your eyes. What inspires him is something I cant imagine we will ever know.


Getting back to light switches for a minute...............this weekend was a step up in intensity on this front. Light switches were turned on and off extremely quickly whenever nobody was looking. Not just on OR off, but rapid on/off/on/off/on/off. Once we say stop and are within his vision he will ask us to leave him alone using his limited vocabulary eg, Daddy go get milk, Daddy go outside, Daddy train. If we stay within his vision he will revert to an autistic trait (of ours) of turning his head away from eye-gazing or put a hand in front of his eyes and simply inch towards doing exactly the same thing, only slower. Its as if he thinks that if he cant see us, then we cant see him. This has happened for a few years. Does anybody else recognise this too?

Half term over now and there was no stressful situations about not wanting to go which is a godsend. I think he likes school for the singing they do as he is usually very happy and will often regale us with a nursery rhyme.

This weekend we tried a newly opened indoor soft play place locally. This was huge with mini bumper cars, slides, balls, climbing frames etc. For the two hours we were there, his fascination lay solely in the doors of the cafe, toilets and exit. Cue the strange looks of other parents as we try to usher him away onto the great facilities.

Have a great week.

Hubby of DIL.