His Tender Attention

I have had, this last week, the best exchanges with my child.

They're conversations without words.  (At least not his.)  With just sounds, syllables, and snippets of songs.

(Oh, and with a whole lotta "Good job, Aksel!" thrown in.)

But the most important thing, what you're not reading...

Aksel is responding.  And they aren't words, per sé.  But I've got him. I've got him there in the moment, and he's responding.

With smiles, eye contact, and his beautiful, dear, tender attention.

Plus, he's making noises in response to my questions.  He's trying to reciprocate.  And I can't stop from just hugging him so tight.

I know this reads sentimental, and maybe... a little over-the-top, but what can I say?  I've waited a long time to make an impression on my child.  To have a conversation with him.  To talk about things like fairytales & frogs.  And robots.  And, Chet Baker.

It's important we get started now.  We've got a lot to cover... ;)

Autism, you won't get the best of us.

Autism affects the way a child perceives the world and makes communication and social interaction difficult.  Most children with autism seem to have tremendous difficulty learning to engage in the give-and-take of everyday human interactions.

PS - With all this singing, I'm excited to start my Lullaby Project.