I wrote this post a week ago and forgot to publish it!
Both kids started swim lessons at our community pool last week, for the very first time ever! They were very excited, from the get go. The teacher is a sweet, awesome looking 20-something, who has no idea of his diagnosis whatsoever. I decided to wait it out and tell her, only if I felt the need to.
The first lesson went very smooth. From the second lesson onward, Aditya was extremely friendly, chatty and even wanted to show off. Initially teacher Ruth counted how long he could hold his breath, then asked him to count while she demonstrated. "Well, which language do you want me to count in?"
R: "Whatever you are comfortable with!"
A: "This time I'll count in German. But I can count only up to 40 in German." and they both laughed.
When he was doing a back float, he started counting in French (which he remembered only till 10) and easily switched to English starting 11. No second guessing himself, no judging himself for not remembering. How cool is that!
He was highly social, interactive and chatty throughout all lessons till date (Today was the fourth). He even told her once that it didn't seem as scary when she showed him how to do something, but when he tried, he was scared of drowning. "I know you won't let me drown, but I am still scared for my life!"
I can see him being challenged (physically) like never before, but he is so motivated that he can move mountains.
Today, as he was relaxing after his lesson, he started telling me (rather, bragging) how he went over to the deeper end for a safety lesson. He then narrated everything that happened in that half hour. Unprompted! And I had been standing right there the whole time, so I knew that he was telling everything - leaving out neither the part where he felt scared nor where he could go for 12 seconds when asked to go for only 10. And he told it all because he felt like sharing it with me! YAY!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Assertive, silly, expressive, and reading body language!
1. Aai is in the kitchen and calls Aditya for something.
"But I am playing the guitar", replies Aditya while still playing the guitar!
2. In a play date with a 8 year old girl who has been playing with him once in a while for over a year now... he became the dog and walked around on all fours with her. When they were home, the dog owner became busy with cooking something for the dog. She almost ism'ed if you looked at it from his viewpoint! "Arf arf" the dog said after a while as if to get the owner's attention!
3. In a play session with Baba he dictated the recipe of a french toast with roasted almonds on the side... once they were done writing it on the dry erase board, Baba commented that he had run out of space, then looked with excitement at another dry erase board in the room. Aditya sprang into action, understanding this was a cue to go get that board... so he could continue dictating the rest of the recipe!
Later, we made the french toast together. Once the almonds were roasted and ready to be served, he used a marker to remove them from the toy pizza pan that we had used for roasting the almonds. As he did that he commented, "I am using this like a hockey stick". Delighted at this expression explosion, Baba began smiling and celebrating him for saying that. Then he said how he began laughing as if it was a joke. Aditya responded with a gentle look and a giggle and said, "Yeah I was being silly".
4. Every once in a while when he is talking to us about his latest imagination... the ADAX car making company that makes all kinds of environment-friendly solar and electric and water based cars.... if we look like we want to add in a comment, he asks, "what?" How beautiful!!!
2. In a play date with a 8 year old girl who has been playing with him once in a while for over a year now... he became the dog and walked around on all fours with her. When they were home, the dog owner became busy with cooking something for the dog. She almost ism'ed if you looked at it from his viewpoint! "Arf arf" the dog said after a while as if to get the owner's attention!
3. In a play session with Baba he dictated the recipe of a french toast with roasted almonds on the side... once they were done writing it on the dry erase board, Baba commented that he had run out of space, then looked with excitement at another dry erase board in the room. Aditya sprang into action, understanding this was a cue to go get that board... so he could continue dictating the rest of the recipe!
Later, we made the french toast together. Once the almonds were roasted and ready to be served, he used a marker to remove them from the toy pizza pan that we had used for roasting the almonds. As he did that he commented, "I am using this like a hockey stick". Delighted at this expression explosion, Baba began smiling and celebrating him for saying that. Then he said how he began laughing as if it was a joke. Aditya responded with a gentle look and a giggle and said, "Yeah I was being silly".
4. Every once in a while when he is talking to us about his latest imagination... the ADAX car making company that makes all kinds of environment-friendly solar and electric and water based cars.... if we look like we want to add in a comment, he asks, "what?" How beautiful!!!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
He used a metaphor!
It was bed time, and Aai was telling the twins what a fun day she had had with them, playing in the playroom with Aditya (once within a dual session along with Baba and one more time by herself), as well as with Shreya. She added that she had the best time when the three of them played Goblet in the evening!
She finished this with a hug, kiss and "Good Night, kids!"
Aditya said, "Yeah, good night. The Sun is playing Goblet with the Moon right now." WHAT! He just used a metaphor! This is such a profound change in our boy!
THANK YOU ADITYA, and thank you Son Rise program!
(A little bit about the game of Goblet: Gobblet plays just like Tic-Tac-Toe except that you can gobble up your opponent and move your pieces around the board. You may read more about it here: Goblet)
She finished this with a hug, kiss and "Good Night, kids!"
Aditya said, "Yeah, good night. The Sun is playing Goblet with the Moon right now." WHAT! He just used a metaphor! This is such a profound change in our boy!
THANK YOU ADITYA, and thank you Son Rise program!
(A little bit about the game of Goblet: Gobblet plays just like Tic-Tac-Toe except that you can gobble up your opponent and move your pieces around the board. You may read more about it here: Goblet)
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