Thirty Days of Autism

I hope it is a good movie. It is going to be a bit corny – but it should be good. Mom will you help me??

Yes, you get things going and set up and then let me know what I can do. I will help you.

A gathering and organizing of homemade props and materials ensues. H has been working on this for weeks and weeks. Rummaging… and again overtaking the dining room table with his creations, he is getting things lined up… sorted… prepared. H is making a movie.

I rein in my tendency to want things in order. Not perfect order – I am entirely comfortable in my own mess – it is other people’s mess that I find overwhelming. I remind myself that this is his work. We are honouring his creativity and self-directed learning and interest and drive.

This is the kid who knows who Stanley Kubrick is.

A while back, H was talking to me about some sort of invention in the car as we were heading somewhere. I started to tell him that his idea was impossible – then I caught myself. I admitted: “H, I was going to tell you that was impossible – but I am going to rephrase that. Never let someone like me tell you that something is impossible. Dream big – and don’t let people put a lid on your imagination and inventive mind, based on either current technological limits, or their capacity to share your vision of an imagined future.”

We watched Star Wars together on video last week. The tracking was a bit sketchy in places, as this is the 1980s release. H entreated, “Mom – this is cool – we are kicking it old school. See – this version is not even called ‘A New Hope’. It is just ‘Star Wars’. It is a classic.”

If you asked H about one of his favourite directors, George Lucas,  he’d share: “I know he is not making movies anymore but he still is good. He made Star Wars and Indiana Jones and his imagination is amazing and futuristic.”

So last week… when we watched Star Wars, we had the chance to look at how the technology has changed and to discuss the way that Lucas anticipated this and was able to plan for it to catch up with his ideas of what was possible. This related so well to the conversation we had about not limiting your imagination based on what seems possible. I think another door opened for H… I could almost see the wheels turning.

This week he is building – constructing – planning – problem solving. He is using tools – trying to teach himself to weld – learning about programming – and editing.  To be honest, I can barely keep up – and I sure don’t want my lack of ability to do so to hold my boy back.

The best thing we can do for this kid is to support him in perfectly being who he is perfectly able to be.

He is a kid who know about the likes of Stanley Kubrick, Steven King, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. He is interested in movies and movie props and retro pop culture. He is fascinated by the special effects and behind the scenes happenings in movies and he has a real pension for and a mind-boggling knowledge of classic horror B films.

A little later, I again query: Is there anything I can do to help?

Yes – you can be a good actor.

Yikes… I am most certainly out of my league…