Firsts
“Firsts” often come out of order for a child on the autism spectrum: I long ago learned that Charlie was on his own schedule of “milestones.” While it was puzzling that he did not roll over on his own until he was nine months old, or walk until he was almost 16 months old, I have learned to take the “wait and work at it and work some more and hope and wait” approach. The fluttering hope persists that one day, out of the blue, X will happen: A full clear sentence that is a thought, that tells me what Charlie is contemplating; the alphabet clearly printed on a piece of paper in Charlie’s own hand; Charlie opening a book and picking out a word, and another, and another, and another….
Two days into vacation, and already two firsts (and one bout of being upset, but there is a clear cause here, sunburn—I have to remember to put the sunscreen right under Charlie’s eyes).
Yesterday night, after riding his beloved ferris wheel! once—Charlie used to aim his body to the pavement when we told him he’d had enough rides on the big circle and it was time to go—-and getting Jim to go on the Sea Dragon with him (Charlie grinned the entire time and Jim could be seen to be smiling, and sighing—yes, they are vertical in the photo), Charlie called for “merry-go-round.”
“Something a little easier on the stomach,” said Jim. Charlie ran onto the platform, found a white horse, and pulled himself up.
“First time he ever did that!” beamed Jim.
And then this morning: Charlie ran ahead of us carrying his own boogie board. He took off his sandals once he was on the sand and carried them down, then took off his shirt and handed it to me, then grabbed his board and ran for the water. I hurried after him and secured the strap around his wrist and then, now holding the board over his head, now moving forward into the ocean, Charlie went out on his own and rode several waves in, and turned east and went back in for more, alongside all the other 10-year-old or so children.
Jim has been taking Charlie out on his board for the past four years, with Jim doing every step of positioning Charlie on the board and showing where to place his hands, dragging him out into the water, turning the board and the boy around to shore, and hurrying after in the event of the inevitable wipe-out, me splashing behind. Today, Charlie wiped out several times, the board flying out; he retrieved it, dashed the salt water from his eyes, and headed back in. The self-possessed look on his face (with a smile to match) said too much for a mere blog post to cover.
We’ve signed Charlie up for a three-hour surf camp on Tuesday at 1pm. It’s a “regular for regular kids” surf camp, with Jim as the “shadow/aide” and me offering the usual explanations.
It’ll be another first.
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POSTED IN: Charlisms, New Jersey, Water
16 opinions for Firsts
Justthisguy
Aug 13, 2007 at 4:06 am
Well, he’s already better at that than I am, and I’m 50-something. It still takes conscious effort for me to do the Australian Crawl, and I hold the Lifesaving Merit Badge. (Dang near drowned, acquiring it)
I prefer backstroke, or sidestroke, or just plain underwater swimming. Ducking the face with every stroke gets on my BAPpy nerves.
Justthisguy
Aug 13, 2007 at 4:17 am
P.s. I had no problem with the “Drownproofing” technique I was taught at Ga. Tech (where it was invented). I could easily float like a dead man, coming up for air now and then, until I got all wrinkled all over, or the white-tips come for me, whichever happens first. A very peaceful and meditative way of floating, that is.
mommy~dearest
Aug 13, 2007 at 8:57 am
Sounds like a wonderful vacation! How awesome for Charlie’s “firsts” as well!
I’m wondering now if I put sunscreen under Jaysen’s eyes…another “sunburn spot” I found is the tops of the feet. Feet sunburns are nasty, and should be avoided at all costs!
mcewen
Aug 13, 2007 at 10:27 am
Horray!
Liz D.
Aug 13, 2007 at 11:10 am
It’s been a week of big smiles among the a-bloggers, hasn’t it? Leelo made potty progress and also is a merman, like Charlie.
And Meg is speaking and pointing to express her wants.
Hooray for the glad days of August.
Karen
Aug 13, 2007 at 11:43 am
Woo-hoo!!!
M'sDad
Aug 13, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Great!!!!
VAB
Aug 13, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Fantastic! Man oh man, that boy has such great confidence. What a great vacation.
MomtoJBG
Aug 13, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Go, Charlie! Kowabunga!
Niksmom
Aug 13, 2007 at 5:13 pm
“Awesome, Dude!”…sounds like Charlie’s adjusted A-OK to the vacation routine so far. Yippee!
Justthisguy
Aug 14, 2007 at 12:11 am
Hey, what’s with the social comments? I thought this was about how to have fun in the water when autistic, with hints and tips? Snerk.
[sigh] Normals!
Kristina Chew, PhD
Aug 14, 2007 at 12:24 am
Back to fundamentals, then—Charlie’s main stroke is his own brand of Australian crawl. He never does a lap all one stroke, usually half A-crawl and then on his back, along with a fast foot-first descent underwater.
I’ve been taking some short videos of him in the waves and hope to put together a longer movie……… He just seems to know when a wave is coming, whatver direction he is turned, and he is never surprised when they hit. Unlike his mother, who was wiped out several times and plummeted once into four adolescents (all trying to “socialize”).
Melanie, Bobby's mom
Aug 14, 2007 at 8:31 am
Congrats on Charlie’s boogie boarding! I grew up on the beach and love to catch waves however I can. Bobby loves the ocean too, and reads the waves very well for a not-quite-4-year-old. My boy is fearless, which makes for a nervous mama!
Heidi Clover
Aug 14, 2007 at 9:25 am
Wooo hoooo!!! Awesome Charlie!!
This post has really put a smile on my face today! I surf (badly), kitesurf (ok) and snowboard (also ok) and since becoming a mum it’s been my dream to be able to share these with my boys, the autistic as well as the non-autistic one. Since they are only 3 1/2 and 1 year, it’ll be a while before they can get in the water with me. When Sami was diagnosed, one of the irrational and silly things that I got upset about was that ‘I’ll never be teaching him to surf’ Huh?! Hope Charlie enjoys the surf camp, he sounds like he is taking to the waves like a pro already!
Justthisguy
Aug 14, 2007 at 11:54 pm
To clear up possible misunderstandings: The Boy Scouts taught me to do the breast stroke when swimming toward a drowning person, so as to keep him in sight at all times. The “nearly drowned” part was about my Merit Badge Counselor, a big paraplegic guy with arms like a gorilla’s who did a very scary simulation of a violently crazy drowning person on my pale, tender self.
Justthisguy
Aug 15, 2007 at 12:10 am
P.s. Swimming for the drowning person is always the last resort. We were taught “Reach, Throw, Row, Go”, that is, use the easiest and least risky method first.
Common to all methods was the idea of never diverting one’s gaze from the victim, even for an instant, no matter the distraction. The “Row” part involved rowing the boat stern-first, so as to see the rescue-ee.
I was also taught to undress very quickly, without looking at what I was doing, so as to keep a continuous gaze on the person in trouble in the water
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