Autism Vox

The True Believer

by Kristina Chew, PhD on June 30th, 2007

As I ran back towards our house this morning, I spotted a tall figure on the front lawn, in a black t-shirt and blue jeans. A blue bag was beside the mailbox: Charlie’s backpack, and Charlie (for it was he) walking back and forth on the grass.

Saturday morning, and Charlie was waiting for the schoolbus.

I noted to Jim that his internal schedule must be off-kilter, as he only had three days of summer school last week. I also recalled the weekday morning when Charlie threw his shoes out the window and slammed the back of his head against the seat of the car, non-subtle non-verbal communication for I don’t want to go to school. I remembered how, if we said “school” or “teacher” or “tomorrow” on the weekend, Charlie raged, until one Sunday night in November 2005 Jim said, “he’s not going back there.”

This Saturday morning, Charlie paced the lawn, then sat on the porch with Jim looking towards the street. Jim went in and Charlie went to the refrigerator, and made his lunch (chicken, carrots, soybeans). He carried the containers out to his backpack, which was still beside the mailbox, and put them into his lunchbox, and was looking through some old photos when his ABA therapist drove up.

“Is that his backpack?” the therapist asked. “I’ll get it.”

Charlie gathered up his photos and, grinning, went into the house.

When I am asked why he has been doing so well this year—keeping in mind that Charlie is ten years old and getting older—–the best answer I can give is, Charlie has faith that the schoolbus will come on Monday morning and that it is taking him to a place where he wants to be: Charlie believes.

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POSTED IN: Charlisms, Education, Schoolbus