Window

Interactions with a young boy with autism, translated…

“Good bye, Ms. Jen!”, the child walked over to the door, for the very first time, looked me, in the eyes, as he, waved goodbye.

He, is a long-term care psychiatric treatment case that was assigned to me, a few months ago, I’d met him for the very first time, he was on the couch, playing on his own toys, and, mumbled things that others around him couldn’t, understand, as we’d called his name, he’d always looked, elsewhere, let alone, having him answer our, questions or inquiries, as he’d heard the questions we asked, he couldn’t, speak out a word, and, as we said goodbye to him, we never, got, a response.

interaction with a young child with autism

How do we, deal with this, classic, autistic child, without the ability of, verbal, communication?

I’d heard his mother told once, that as I went downstairs, the young boy would always, run to the window, watched me leave, and since, every time as I’d finished with my home visits, before I walked off, I’d, looked back, and waved toward the windows, actually, I couldn’t, make him out, to the point, that he may not see me, waving at him goodbye, because it was a social skill he’d, lacked, but he will, surely, see me?

And, I’d, waved on goodbye, imagined, that I was, looking at the child by the window, imagined that I was, giving him, a response, about a month and a half later, as I said goodbye, he’d run out to say goodbye, and, as he’d said goodbye from afar, he’d, quickly, run to the window, then it was tonight, he’d, stayed close to the doorway, smiled, to a place ahead of his own mother, said goodbye to me, and now, there’s the verbal and nonverbal responses I’d imagined him to have, I’m so glad for him, and I was, also, healed at the same time too.

Thinking back, isn’t this, waving goodbye a part of, my therapy to him?  Or maybe not, it’s because, I’d, imagined, that this young child wanted something; or maybe, because, as I was walking out, I’d wanted to, leave a model of saying goodbye for him to take after, anyways, I just, wanted to, do it, for the boy, as well, as for, my self too.

And so, this is, a HUGE step for this boy with autism, and it didn’t MATTER if he was only copying the gestures of this therapist who’d, come to his home to visit and to treat him or not, he’s, making progress, with this sort of, a barely, noticeable, interaction with the world around him.