Ummm, wow.

So my little guy, J, does this one activity that's really cute. You put a puppet on your hand & using a visual support he requests whether he wants the puppet to tickle him, hug him or give him a "kiss". When he gives it a kiss he just presses his mouth against it briefly over & over again. So cute! *This ties in, I promise*

So today he came over to & gestured that he wanted me to pick him up. Now the only time he ever wants to be picked up is to reach something he can't have, so we never do it. Only today I was standing in the middle of the room with nothing up high near me. After trying to redirect him several times & him persisting in wanting "up" I was curious enough to do it (he's not easy to pick up now that's he's 6!). So I picked him up & asked, "What do you want now?"

He tucked his head under my chin & cuddled me for a few seconds. Holy. #$%^.

Then he started sniffing my neck. I'm assuming he liked my perfume. I hope. :)

Then he started kissing my shoulder just like he does the puppet.

I just stood there in shock. I looked over at my EA & asked, "Is he doing what I think he is?"

"Well it looks like he's giving you kisses like the puppet," then half-joking, "But he could be about to bite you too!"

I was so shocked & excited-but it did occur to me that he might still bite me- I just stood still to see what he would do.

Next he stared into my face & started randomly vocalizing like he does, so I did what I often do which is imitate him. Once I started making the sounds he was making he put his hands on my face & stared at my mouth. I stopped vocalizing & he started making my mouth open & close with his hands.

This was by far the coolest interaction we've ever had. It was so amazing, I was-and still am- completely stunned. I still don't know what to think.

More Snippets...

More interesting quotes from my classroom:

Little guy walks up to me today, "Do you want to smell my tummy?"

While making "eggs" out of playdough for our toy chickens a little girls yelps, "They're hatching!"

"What's inside the eggs?" I asked.

"Fish!"

*pause* "Well that's going to be one surprised chicken." I responded.

Again while making eggs out of playdough a little boy picks up one of his, "He's hatching! The first superhero chicken ever is being hatched!"

Greetings from...

I have a little guy recently officially diagnosed with ASD. This was no big surprise since I had him last year too and we pretty much all saw it. He is such a funny little guy! He's got curls to die for, looooooves to sing & doesn't so much walk anywhere as he does hop.

Well he now has a new cute factor; his personalized greetings for each person at school.

He has separate greetings for each of my EAs (J & C), his bus driver, myself & our Speech Therapist (D).

J: "Blech!" as he he sticks out his tongue emphatically.

C: "Stop!" as he puts up his hand.

D: "Errrr!" as he squeezes himself in a big hug.

Myself: "Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!"

Bus Driver: "Ah choo!" as he makes a very convincing fake sneeze.

I'm not joking. This is how he greets each of these people every day, possibly multiple times a day if they leave & come back again. Now to you this probably seems extremely odd, perhaps even downright weird. But knowing him as I do I know why he greets each person that way & it actually makes perfect sense!

J: Is always telling him to take toys/clothes/books out his mouth by telling him "Out of mouth. Blech, yucky."

C: Every day reads his favourite book with him that tells us the way to be a Super Friend. "Stop & think, what would a Super Friend do?"

D: He loves getting big bear hugs from D each time he sees him.

Bus Driver: He loves the way she says "Bless You!" every time he sneezes.

Myself: All last year I worked with him on greeting people by looking at them & saying "Hi".

I guess what I'm trying to say is, context and relationship is EVERYTHING! Never, ever forget that. Outside of a caring relationship his behaviour would seem completely unusual, worrisome and honestly, probably annoying. But in the context of understanding his personality, medical diagnosis, like/dislikes, interests, etc. it makes perfect, awesome sense.

Princess Don't Drive Bulldozers!

It's always fun in preschool land, especially when the toys you set out don't get used quite as planned! ;)

We're learning about things that go this month; that means vehicles of all sorts, construction & tools.

I set out lots of cars & trucks of all sizes along with tools & construction dress-up clothes. My idea was that they would be combined into sort of a mechanic/construction type imaginative play.

Well somehow the princesses & castle got dragged out in the midst of it. The result: hilarity!

Robin Hood was getting a ride to the hospital by a Transformer that was originally a Barbie car; the princess was driving the bulldozer to the tea party; the construction worker was fixing the parkade the puppy was racing a car in...AWESOME!

Above are a few amazingly adorable pics of the kids in their dress-up stuff.