Throughout the day yesterday, Aditya delighted in figuring out and playing on his guitar the kind of Hindi songs that his dad loves to listen to, sing, and play!
(If you know Hindi songs... here is what he was playing:
Hum Tum Se Mile (Rocky), Pyar Humein (Satte Pe Satta), Pehle Pehle Pyar Ki (Great Gambler), Jo Haal Dil Ka (Sarfarosh), Tune Mujhe Pehchana Nahi (Raju Chacha), etc. )
Two years ago, we started bonding over music, cricket, soccer, and a host of other games!
Three years ago, we were not even playing tic-tac-toe together. When we did, it had to be with light bulbs and fans, or tapes and CD's so he could stay "interested" in playing it.
Four years ago, we joined him where he was, and played "draw the microwave" with him. It took 30 microwave ovens for the genius in him to be convinced that it was a perfect design. We had then added a bowl of soup to the microwave. He had gladly approved!
Five or six years ago, we were told by experts that he had autism, and life would never be the same for us!
They said he was relatively high functioning, so he could have a bright future. But by bright future they meant doing what he could do within the "limits" placed by autism. And that there was no way around this reality!
They were wrong. He proved them wrong.
And they were right too. Life was not the same for us after his diagnosis. It became WAY BETTER.
It is way better now than we could have asked for, even before his diagnosis!
And every time I think there is nothing more I can ask for, he keeps making it better:-)
Meanwhile, Shreya is quietly learning the keyboard on her own, and sometimes consults with her brother and friend Aditya about it.
I am grateful, content, delighted!!!
Aditya is also preparing to play his favorite "Banana Phone" song on the keyboard during the upcoming variety show at his school. The reason for the song is not that Aditya is crazy about it, but that I (Baba) am a lot more comfortable with teaching this song. I say this because three years ago, Aditya's only ism was to sing, draw, talk about, and walk with the Banana Phone CD!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Birthday Party!
This is another huge milestone. And we are so grateful for it!
The twins had had their last "conventional" birthday party when they were 4.
Two Sundays ago, they had their latest and greatest birthday party with a group of friends they invited from each of their classes. We held the party at "Airborne Gymnastics"... a place that offers a structured and directed 1 hour gymnastics session for the birthday kids and their friends. The twins had a blast! Especially Shreya who is a big gymnastics enthusiast. Aditya thoroughly enjoyed it too!
The twins had had their last "conventional" birthday party when they were 4.
Two Sundays ago, they had their latest and greatest birthday party with a group of friends they invited from each of their classes. We held the party at "Airborne Gymnastics"... a place that offers a structured and directed 1 hour gymnastics session for the birthday kids and their friends. The twins had a blast! Especially Shreya who is a big gymnastics enthusiast. Aditya thoroughly enjoyed it too!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Playing with words!
Aditya is doing a lot of word play these days.
1. Rhyming
Apparently, his teacher is the driving force and inspiration behind this. They play a game in school where the kids try putting together rhymes.
Aditya is creating these rhymes ON THE FLY.
e.g. Since I love Mickey Mouse
I can have him in my house
2. Coining brand new ideas... and animals!
While playing with a volunteer where Aditya, the volunteer, and Mickey Mouse went on an animal safari in Africa, he said, "This is a kig." When the volunteer asked him what that meant, he said it is an animal with the face of a cat and sound of a pig!
Oh, and if it is not obvious... our current ism is Mickey Mouse. It is the thing he talks about and plays with when in the playroom.
He is very interactive (i.e. not exclusive), but he always wants to include Mickey in the play, i.e. his only challenge here seems to be needing Mickey Mouse to be part of every activity.
Of course, as we always do in the Son Rise program, we see Mickey Mouse as his motivation, and we USE it to build our play rather than resist it!
As such, we are using a lot of the "Gerd's new way" (Aditya's term) techniques in our play. Aditya is fully aware of and has memorized what the new way is!
Something funny about this... he saw me write "use cliff hangers" on the board while talking to a volunteer. This was a technique to be used by the volunteer, wherein he says something like, "Hey Aditya you know something ... I went to this amazing place yesterday". This is designed to inspire Aditya to be curious and ask him about where he went-- thus practicing how to get to know more about your friend.
Since he saw me write that, he then asked me what it meant. I explained it to him, on which he asked, " Can I use cliff hangers when speaking to kids in my class?"
I laughed but said indeed he could. After a couple days, he told me he actually used that technique with a girl! How inspiring!
1. Rhyming
Apparently, his teacher is the driving force and inspiration behind this. They play a game in school where the kids try putting together rhymes.
Aditya is creating these rhymes ON THE FLY.
e.g. Since I love Mickey Mouse
I can have him in my house
2. Coining brand new ideas... and animals!
While playing with a volunteer where Aditya, the volunteer, and Mickey Mouse went on an animal safari in Africa, he said, "This is a kig." When the volunteer asked him what that meant, he said it is an animal with the face of a cat and sound of a pig!
Oh, and if it is not obvious... our current ism is Mickey Mouse. It is the thing he talks about and plays with when in the playroom.
He is very interactive (i.e. not exclusive), but he always wants to include Mickey in the play, i.e. his only challenge here seems to be needing Mickey Mouse to be part of every activity.
Of course, as we always do in the Son Rise program, we see Mickey Mouse as his motivation, and we USE it to build our play rather than resist it!
As such, we are using a lot of the "Gerd's new way" (Aditya's term) techniques in our play. Aditya is fully aware of and has memorized what the new way is!
Something funny about this... he saw me write "use cliff hangers" on the board while talking to a volunteer. This was a technique to be used by the volunteer, wherein he says something like, "Hey Aditya you know something ... I went to this amazing place yesterday". This is designed to inspire Aditya to be curious and ask him about where he went-- thus practicing how to get to know more about your friend.
Since he saw me write that, he then asked me what it meant. I explained it to him, on which he asked, " Can I use cliff hangers when speaking to kids in my class?"
I laughed but said indeed he could. After a couple days, he told me he actually used that technique with a girl! How inspiring!
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