I love it when ds1 does stuff like this

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

So we're waiting for the bus, watching Bobinogs. It cuts to a scene of a park and the little boy goes on the swing. DS1 likes swings, so starts pointing and saying 'ing' and we have a bit of back and forth ing ing ing.

Then off he runs to the kitchen and comes back carrying a bottle of cordial. I thought he wanted some, - he was pointing at it and shouting, then I realised there was a small (abstract) picture of a swing on there (which if course I'd never noticed before).

Cracks me up every time.

ds1 also does this annoying thing that we'll drive past somewhere and he'll starting shouting and pointing. I then have to say what it is he's shouting and pointing at (because of course he can't speak so I have to say it for him). And he won't stop until I say the right thing. But half the time I can't remember what it is. For example recently he was carrying on about a house we'd visited 3 or 4 years ago, but I'd forgotten that we'd gone there so it took me ages to get the 'right' comment.

And what is that thing about going backwards. DS1 used to go ballistic in his pushchair if I retraced steps, or the car reversed, or the bus stopped at a bus stop.

I remember discussing with ds2's paed how he could be so developmentally delayed but be so controlled by routine, apparently she was saying that in India (she is Indian & was trained there) one of the main criteria for dx asd is not so much the lack of social interaction which is often the focus here but rather the disordered rather than delayed development & this very acute but restricted memory she was taught is due to the under development of other sensory areas.
Not sure if she was talking rubbish but it kind of makes sense to me!

I also know a child with severe ASD & downs syndrome, he is 8 & non verbal but can read years above both his age & his comprehension level. He only needs to be shown a word once with someone saying it out loud & its committed to his memory. This is the same little boy who cannot take off his own shoes & has no awareness of his toileting needs.

The mind is an amazing thing!

Visually Ds1 and I differ in the sense that I have sod all sense of direction and am rubbish at jigsaw puzzles. I prefer wordbased puzzles instead, eg crosswords, fit the words, word searches etc.