A HUG To Remember...

I had a session with a 6-year old Autistic boy today. It was our 10th session and a much celebrated one maybe just to me but a celebrated one nevertheless =o)

We have always made good progress during our sessions. The sessions have helped him to establish good eye-contact when speaking and spoken to which is something very difficult for most autistic children. His attention has also improved significantly and he is now able to conceptualize verbal instructions given.

However, the icing on the cake is what happened today. During the session, he initiated a conversation with me and we were able to carry out a two-way conversation briefly. I was over the moon as I usually have to probe for a respond which is usually a 'Yes' or 'No'. Today, he looked at me and pointed to the wall and said "paint". I responded "Yes, do you like it?" He said, "Yes." I asked "Who do you think painted it?" He pointed at me with a smile and said, "Auntie". It may have been monosyllabic on his part but to me, it was a conversation and a far cry from our usual yes/no interactions.

And there is more... When our session was done, we said bye. He played with my hair and then stood at the door rubbing his eyes and looked upset. I held his hands and asked him what is wrong. He looked at me and gave me a HUG! My heart melted - was he trying to tell me that he was sad to leave? I don't know but of course a part of me wish that it was so =o) Then his mother said to me, he is really comfortable with you to be touching you and hugging you. I can't help but think how blessed I am to be given these rare windows of opportunities to make a difference in the life of a child. I Simply Love What I Do! =o)