Remote Control & Screwdriver

Kevin wanted to watch a TV show while I was in the kitchen getting meals ready today. I always try to use these opportunities to encourage communication of any kind. So without having verbal communication for it, it goes like this...Kevin comes in the kitchen and gets my attention and makes one of his "Uh" sounds. I say, do you need help with something? Kevin says "Uh" and grabs my hand to take me in the family room. Then he scans the room for the remote control. (Like most homes, we have multiple remote controls for various devices and sometimes the same device. I like to use the "easy" remote which is the big silver remote control and that is the one he will usually hand me to tell me to turn on the TV. As you may know, having several remote controls around it can be difficult to locate the one you want.) So in this moment, Kevin sees two remote controls on the ottoman (the other two remote controls that are actually for the TV are out of his visual range behind him). He scans the room again and picks this small silver remote (which I'm not even sure what it is for but I do know it is not to turn the TV on). So then I helped him find the correct TV remote control and turned the TV on for him and he watched his show.

I find this really interesting. We have struggled with sign language and getting signs to stick after he learns them. We struggle with getting him to point to a correct answer when he has a choice, often times he will look at the correct answer but point to the wrong answer. We even struggle with taking silverware to the table - Kevin uses a spoon and always gets his spoon for his meal but when I ask him to bring me a fork he always gets me a spoon and sometimes two spoons - despite our best efforts to show him by various methods. Sometimes giving Kevin a simple direction to follow with a common object is unsuccessful, which can leave me feeling baffled and discouraged. When Kevin was deciding which remote control to choose based on the two that were within his sight - I thought he would have picked the small black control because it looks more like a regular remote control, but it seems that he picked it based on color? I don't know what that means but I feel like this gives me a glimpse into Kevin's brain and how he processes some things. A good example to tell our brain experts.

Update on the same day
The story continues...later in the day (after I had written the story above but before I posted it) something else happened. Kevin had been down in the basement and discovered that I left the toy closet open (it is a difficult door and is not easily opened or shut). I heard him brining out some of his old toys and was hearing some old familiar noises from his battery operated toys that make a lot of sounds and lights. Some time later, he comes upstairs with the yellow piano toy (not easily done one handed and needing wall support while walking up the steps backward!). After being upstairs for a few moments, Kevin hands me the yellow piano WITH A  SCREWDRIVER!!! The yellow piano was not working anymore and he knew that it needed new batteries and that new batteries meant a screwdriver would be needed. I was flabbergasted!!! I did not know he knew how to process all of that! Here's how I am assuming it went in Kevin's head: This old toy piano isn't working; When some of my other favorite toys don't work Mom and Dad say the batteries need to be changed; I've seen Mom changing the batteries in my Mollii Suit every week and she uses this screwdriver; Mom keeps the screwdriver on the desk next to where the batteries are charging; If I give this screwdriver to Mom she can get my old favorite toy to work again. Please don't misunderstand me, I know Kevin has some understanding but in the paragraph above I explained how it can be confusing for me to understand everything he understand. I honestly had no idea he was understanding and processing all of that. It's possible!

So, I have a confession, our helper wasn't able to come over today. I got busy with some other stuff around the house and we took an impromptu day off. I believe there is something to be said for these around the house "free days". If I had stuck to our program schedule Kevin would not have had these opportunities today and given me some insight into his understanding. This couldn't have come at a better time. Just a couple days ago I was getting the "Back to School Blues". I was feeling all the energy with Back to School time and it makes me feel a little blue. I feel left out, because it represents a beginning and another year gone by that kids will make gains and progress in their learning and development. It's been so long since we have seen any real intellectual development with Kevin. But Kevin is finally making baby steps towards some real progress - with his increase and (dare I say) stability of verbal sounds and his word "bye". And I have been posting positive updates on Kevin - more than I have in a very long time. This gives me hope and that's what I need to keep me going. - Again, thanks for reading another long post.