Sorry about being unintentionally coy with my last post. Something exciting did happen on Sunday night, but I wanted time to put my thoughts into words. But by the same token, I had to say something.
Autism is a very wide spectrum that affects people in many different ways. Some, like my son, have to be taught through repeated trials how to imitate people. This is something most of us take for granted as most neurotypical children are born with this ability. Think about it: most children can imitate goofy grins and other facial expressions before they reach one year. Imitation is a very important skill because most of us learn through imitating others.
Lately, my son has been doing a lot of imitating. And not just physical actions, either; he has started to echo words and sounds.
On Sunday evening, after Ella read Zed his bedtime stories, we kissed him and both told him, "I love you." Only this time, he said, "I love you" in return.
I know he loves us. It was just nice to finally hear those words.
P.S. If I ever write another cryptic post like the last one and use words like magical, rest assured we are not having another child. While I can think of a lot of adjectives to describe the prospect of a third child, magical, exciting, and awesome do not come to mind.
Song of the day: Silent Night by The Dickies
He Said
