Odd thing said by woman last week. What did she mean?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

We have been looking at potential houses to buy and had kids in tow. On arrival Ds talks to lady of the house obsessively about whether she has a tape measure. She indulges him both in conversation and by providing one

Upon leaving I thanked her for entertaining Ds and she responded 'my pleasure. I have a son who likes trains'.

Now Ds is still young and though I feel like I've been in the SN all my life I am actually fairly new. Is this 'code', a bit like a password to let us know she'd recognised ASD and has experience herself?

Or does it simply mean her Ds likes trains - end of!?

[AmberLeaf]

I think it was a secret handshake.

My son doesn't like trains, but he is partial to a retractable tape measure!

[ouryve]

Definitely tipping a nod. 1 in 100, remember. We've been talked down a few times by symathetic supermarket staff who have family members who give them the understanding to sit on the periphery and chat calmly and neutrally without jumping in a boy's face and really help to bring down a fraught situation.

For safer tape measures, btw, there's always ones for crafters and dressmakers. Either the traditional 60" cloth and plastic or fibreglass ones or ones like these (all shops I've used and trust - I even "know" some of the owners):
www.getknitted.com/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fgetknitted.com%2facatalog%2fsearch.html&WD=measure%20tape&PN=Blocking_Wire_Kits___more.html%23aLM_2fTM_2fAN#aLM_2fTM_2fAN
www.paviyarns.co.uk/shop/415/442/1153/index.htm
www.loopknittingshop.com/product/3943/Sajou_Wooden_Tape_Measure (expensive!)
www.knitandsew.co.uk/Animal+Tape+Measures/0_CAHA144_CAHA408.htm (these actually look fab!)
www.atomicknitting.co.uk/ourshop/prod_1679101-Designer-Cupcake-Felt-Tape-Measure-amp-Pin-Cushion.html
addicted2knitting.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2592

[joanbyers]

www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/nyregion/children-with-autism-connecting-via-bus-and-train.html?_r=2&hp&

[moosemama]

How about something like this or www.sugaryexpressions.com/tag/tape-measure/?

Pretty simple to do. Get a large cake and trim it to the shape you want. Then if you aren't confident with fondant icing, slather it in buttercream or chocolate. Then just roll out a single piece of icing to be the tape, get an icing pen (both available in supermarkets) and write on the markings and numbers. Leave it to dry overnight so that it will stand on it's side and then just slot it into place. You could either slice the cake and insert the icing slightly - or just stick it to the chocolate or buttercream.

Bobs yer uncle, tape measure cake.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Wtf is a Roland cake? . I typed ROUND

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Ooh, coukd you do a tape measure cake by erm, Thursday!?

Or perhaps just make some suggestions how I coukd do a DIY thingy with shop bought (I thought perhaps chocolate Roland cake with walnut whips on their sides as feet and then slices of mars bars in a line, but I have no artistic talent and woukd no doubt decide soon enough that the mars and walnut whips looked much better in my stomach).

[MammaTJ]

Thanks you Moose. It is a hobby that is funded by my friends.

[moosemama]

Star, I remember that clip. Dh and I think it's great, but ds1 just ran out the room screaming "Turn it off, I can't cope! It's like a million voices all singing inside my head - aaaaaargh!".

Mamma - lovely cakes. You are very talented.

[MammaTJ]

For those who like trains, a reasonably ok Thomas the Tank Engine and Percy cake on my profile.

I do think maybe she has a son with SN and wanted to acknowledge it in a small way.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Thanks.

[joanbyers]

I like trains:

[Dev9aug]

Oh dear, I have just realised that ds1 is a fan of tape measures as well. It's all coming back to me. We had a game where he pulled it back as far as it went and let go. I had to put a stop to that as I was worried about his fingers and mine

[whatthewhatthebleep]

I didn't realise tape measures were 'on the list'!!...my DS has always liked playing with a tape measure...he sits and often just pulls it and releases just to get the 'click' when it retracts back in...

Don't worry, kids usually only snap their finger once or twice before getting more careful with them

a lump of blu tak is a favourite fiddle toy too...we have several of these in various parts of the house...and car ..and school...and ...everywhere actually!!

[ChippingInLovesAutumn]

I don't know - my brother liked tractors, he was completely obsessed by them from about 18mths, until he was about 4. My Mum is likely to have said 'Oh I understand, my DS loved tractors' - my friend would have said 'trains', another friend 'dinosaurs'. Most little boys (& it does seem to be more boys than girls) are a bit obsessive about something - so it could be either way really. Sorry, that's not much help is it ... and most children are obsessed with bloody tape measures - all I see is missing fingers!!

[moosemama]

I was looking at the Sheldon friendship algorythm tshirts the other day and was seriously tempted, then I started to worry that it might not be appropriate. Ds1 saw me looking at them, asked what it was and we read it together - he loved it and now really wants one!

I think geek-chic is a really good thing for a lot of our dcs. Dh has a totally nt mate who is really cool and totally into geek-chic. Ds1 thinks he's great and that really helps as well.

Dh reminded me earlier that ds1 had a 'pet' retractable tape measure when he was little. Dh got so fed up of looking for his tape measure in ds's toybox every time he wanted it that we ended up buying him his own. He still loves the paper tape measures you can pick up for free at IKEA. In fact IKEA is one of his favourite family trips.

[FrustratedSycamoreBonks]

My dd likes tape measures and trains. I never realised the tape measure thing was ASD related until this thread.
I think it was a secret handshake code

[vjg13]

When we were looking at houses about 12 years ago with my daughter, we visited one where the Grandma was round and she sat with my daughter on her knee on a rocking chair in front of a lovely roaring fire whilst we looked round with the parents for about an hour. Their disabled son was in respite that weekend.

I think she was just trying to say she understood your son.

[troutsprout]

Ds is 15 and loves Big Bang . It's been brill for getting him to see the difference between an sheldon type social response and a Nt response. But without the nag from me and without filling in a worksheet ( which has got to be a bonus). We all watch it. He has a ' bazinga' t-shirt . He likes to think he's giving the nod back to those in the know I think. He thinks its very cool. Very geek-chic

[Ineedalife]

I think she was letting you know she understood. Nice to meet someone who "gets" it.

What is about tape measures?

And where can I get one that doesnt nearly cut off Dd3's fingers?

Dd3 doesnt talk about tape measures though despite liking them, she talks obsessively about crisp flavours

[colditz]

I think it's code. Because lots of little boys like trains, but to relate it to obsessively talking about a tape measure ... Here son probably talks about trains just like that!

[EllenJaneisstillnotmyname]

PS, I bought DS1 a Big Bang Theory t shirt for his birthday, 'I am immune to your sarcasm.' Not sure if I'd put DS2 in it, though.

[EllenJaneisstillnotmyname]

My DSs love 'I like trains.' It is a child with ASD or ADHD but I don't think it's hugely negative. Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory has Aspergers, but again I don't feel he's a negative influence. My DS1 loves Big Bang Theory as well, due to the geek chic!

If the woman had said 'My son is a trainspotter,' she would have been more than tipping you the , I reckon.

[DameMargotFountain]

yup, it's like the secret masonic handshake i reckon

fwiw, DD has recently found a retractable tape measure...

[schobe]

Agree with Lougle. It's like a secret handshake, love it.

[troutsprout]

I'm with Lougle