Post by wrblack on Jul 31, 2007 15:04:49 GMT -5
Charlie's latest obsession
And maybe a little insight into this combination of Ds and autism.
Another reason why we shouldn't have been as surprised as we were when handed the additional dx of autistic spectrum disorder a few years ago is that Charlie has for a long time exhibited some obsessive, repetitive, ritual behaviors.
First one I recall was these musical stacking toys. Charlie never had any use for the stacking rings. Would dump them immediately. Then he would turn the toy upside down to press its activation button against the floor, starting up the music and flashing lights, and then rock back and forth while holding toy to his ear. Very content to sit by the patio doors and do that for hours. And sometimes we'd let him, probably shouldn't have. But, hey, what were we going to do? Say stop that rocking with your stacking toy and go study calculus.
I think he wore out a half dozen of those toys. And he was none too happy when one would stop working.
Eventually the stackers gave way to talking Barney. This is progress. At least Barney, however irritating he may be, is a representation of something animate. Suspect Charlie still has better eye contact with Barney than he does with me.
Lots of kids are very entertained by and engaged with videos. For a long time, Charlie was not. Would sort of watch Sesame Street while having breakfast, but not all that taken in, with, by it. May be in part a vision thing, still not sure about what Charlie can see nor how well he can see it.
Ah, further development, for the past several months Charlie has been much enamored of Bob the Builder, tv show, tapes, dvd's, dvd's on the tv, or player, or computer. Someone else sit at the computer to do something, like check email, other than watch a Bob the Builder dvd and Charlie would come up to their shoulder and start fussing. Will still go out by sliders to the patio and pick up Barney to complain to him in various yelps, screeches, mutterings about not getting to watch B the B. But B the B has clearly put Barney out to pasture, so to speak.
So, joint birthday celebration with his 4-year junior brother on Saturday at Chuck E. Cheese's, Charlie found a ride much to his liking. Here's a 1 min. 45 sec. clip,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys-wF_4yeWs
No idea what next step is. I thought little brother was going to teach him to talk. Now, last time I checked with them, not so sure. School has been working with a yes/no switch. That would be good and useful. But maybe Charlie will take up email. Probably not, probably beyond him. But that could be very good, that could work, though Charlie would probably insist on emailing us in Sanskrit or some such.
His humble father,
Bob
And maybe a little insight into this combination of Ds and autism.
Another reason why we shouldn't have been as surprised as we were when handed the additional dx of autistic spectrum disorder a few years ago is that Charlie has for a long time exhibited some obsessive, repetitive, ritual behaviors.
First one I recall was these musical stacking toys. Charlie never had any use for the stacking rings. Would dump them immediately. Then he would turn the toy upside down to press its activation button against the floor, starting up the music and flashing lights, and then rock back and forth while holding toy to his ear. Very content to sit by the patio doors and do that for hours. And sometimes we'd let him, probably shouldn't have. But, hey, what were we going to do? Say stop that rocking with your stacking toy and go study calculus.
I think he wore out a half dozen of those toys. And he was none too happy when one would stop working.
Eventually the stackers gave way to talking Barney. This is progress. At least Barney, however irritating he may be, is a representation of something animate. Suspect Charlie still has better eye contact with Barney than he does with me.
Lots of kids are very entertained by and engaged with videos. For a long time, Charlie was not. Would sort of watch Sesame Street while having breakfast, but not all that taken in, with, by it. May be in part a vision thing, still not sure about what Charlie can see nor how well he can see it.
Ah, further development, for the past several months Charlie has been much enamored of Bob the Builder, tv show, tapes, dvd's, dvd's on the tv, or player, or computer. Someone else sit at the computer to do something, like check email, other than watch a Bob the Builder dvd and Charlie would come up to their shoulder and start fussing. Will still go out by sliders to the patio and pick up Barney to complain to him in various yelps, screeches, mutterings about not getting to watch B the B. But B the B has clearly put Barney out to pasture, so to speak.
So, joint birthday celebration with his 4-year junior brother on Saturday at Chuck E. Cheese's, Charlie found a ride much to his liking. Here's a 1 min. 45 sec. clip,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys-wF_4yeWs
No idea what next step is. I thought little brother was going to teach him to talk. Now, last time I checked with them, not so sure. School has been working with a yes/no switch. That would be good and useful. But maybe Charlie will take up email. Probably not, probably beyond him. But that could be very good, that could work, though Charlie would probably insist on emailing us in Sanskrit or some such.
His humble father,
Bob
