Sunday, November 14, 2010

Andrew, the numbers,the dinosaurs and the cars

Maybe you have heard or read somewhere that some people who are on the autism spectrum are extremely gifted in some ways while struggling with other skills.
Andrew has issues with his social behavior as well as with understanding how to use language appropriately in social situations.
One the other hand, Andrew is quite gifted in other areas. At only 4 years old, he can already read numbers from 0-100, a skill that you usually acquire at the end of kindergarten or in first grade; he can also count from 0-200. Moreover, he can read his name, his brother's name and simple words such as "Yes, no, go, stop". He has been reading the letters of the alphabet since he was two. He is now learning to write the letters of the alphabet.
Andrew is quite fond of dinosaurs. Tonight, he completely impressed me when he opened a book and referred to a few dinosaurs by their names. "look this one is a "Triceratops", this one a "stegosaurus" and this one a "pterosaurs". I have to say, I was floored. I consider myself a fairly educated person, yet I do not know the names of these prehistoric creatures, besides the well-known T-Rex. We have to go to the museum of natural science very soon.
Finally, I would say that Andrew has a gift for recognizing symbols for brands and stores. "It says "target", there goes "wal-mart", this is "AT&T", this is "Whole Foods and Trader Joe's" are sentences I hear on a daily basis.
Andrew also loves cars especially Acuras and Chryslers. Don't ask me why, we do not drive either. Yet, interestingly, he is able to recognize their symbol once he sees the cars parked in the street.
Andrew never ceases to amaze me. He is an adorable, super smart little man. I love him so much...

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing Astrid, wonderful story of Andrew. Again, thanks for sharing!

    Debra

    ReplyDelete
  2. my pleasure, he really is an amazing little boy!

    ReplyDelete