Hope

Everyday we hear more recovery stories from parents of children with Autism. It really provides hope for Andrew. Every now and then we get small glimpses of his true personality. Lately I have been bringing him home after school and putting him in bed and reading to him. Sometimes he listens while sucking on his pacifier and holding his blankey, and other times he looks around humming. I started to read the No David book to him yesterday. He laughed at each page, looking at the pictures, and really waiting for the next page. It is a cute book if you have never read it. Each page "No, David don't play with your food!", Andrew would laugh histerically. It really made me happy to see that I could engage with him. I read it several times and then Felt came home and read it to him. Each time he would look, listen and laugh as we read the line on each page. This is huge for him because I haven't been able to get him to attend to a book since May. Today at daycare he fell and hit his head on the corner of the window seal. On the way home he was still fussy and in pain. At one of the stoplights I turned around to him and said "No David, go to your room!" He busted out laughing, then crying again till I said another No David line from the book. Tonight as I sat in his bed getting him ready to sleep I told him to give Pooh a kiss. After I leaned over and kissed Pooh, he followed and kissed Pooh. It could have been accidental but I like to believe that he understood what I was asking him to do. These little moments are huge for us and really give me hope that Andrew will recover lost skills.