I’m sitting in a coffee shop eating my sandwich with a knife and fork. You might think: crazy! But if you joined me for a few minutes and had a bit of chat, you will realize that I am wearing braces and they just got adjusted. So it really is impossible to tear this sandwich with my teeth.

JOINING. That’s the exact principle we use when we son-rise kids with autism. Because we have been “joining” Nathan, we have learned that it really is fun playing with a slinky; that if you put an object in your mouth and tap, it’s much louder than if you tap away from your mouth; that when we keep repeating words it helps us memorize the word itself and it’s function faster, etc.

Because we have invested more time understanding Nathan, he has become more comfortable with us and more willing to share his thoughts and bond with us.

Now, back to trying to tear up my sandwich.