The Way Nate Sees It.....

 I haven't written a post about my lovie Nate lately and what he has been up to.  I know a few people who read my blog who are especially interested in Nate and his overall progress and development.

What can I say?.....Nate is Nate.....and if you have never met him, he is a bit hard to describe. I am smiling as I write this....because to really know my son....as I have said before, you have to experience him....and those of you who do know him well, know exactly what I am talking about.

Nate was diagnosed with autism this past November, shortly after turning 5. And after doing a bit of research of individuals on the autism spectrum, Jared and I had some wide eyed moments of finally understanding a little more about Nate's communication quirks and how he processes the world around him.

Of course no two people on the spectrum are alike, but reading about others did aid us in encouraging Nate in some otherwise difficult areas of learning. Just one example would be that, although Nate does have a sense of humor, he most definitely is a literal thinker.....and that is something very important to know when trying to explain something to him.

After reading Temple Grandin's "The Way I See It" (A book written by a woman who is on the autistic spectrum....if you have never heard of her, google her name and be amazed.) Anyway...she talked about how she thinks in pictures....like she has a whole rolodex of images stored in her memory and links them together when trying to process information....even a simple conversation. Only then did we realize that Nate too was more than just a "visual learner", but that he actually relied on the visual images to understand simple concepts and conversations with others.

Nate was a whiz with puzzles at a very early age, however, since we have moved to Indiana we have yet to unpack his puzzles....so his new love....Legos.  He has always loved to build things in general....blocks and lincoln logs are also a favorite.  All of the lego directions for  building a house, (a very detailed house I might add), are all picture directions......perfect!

He just follows the directions and goes to town. The only help I have given him on the house you see below was helping him find some of the pieces...we have them all laid out on a cookie sheet so I help him to sift through them. I also helped straighten a couple of shingles and the wheels on the little mower....that's it.

He'll leave it up for only a short time then wreck it and do it all over again.....the following photos are of house #4 and it's only been a week or so since we've found the Legos.

I don't want this post to seem like I am boasting about my son's awesomeness with Legos....because I know lots of kids who are talented with Legos and building their own creations....it's just Nate has struggled in some areas for a really long time, and it is refreshing for me  to share some of the positive things that he enjoys and that he is good at. He will most likely never be a multitasker, but I think that it is great that he can stay focused on something.

I absolutely love his face when he puts the very last Lego piece on....it's the same face I see when he is placing the last piece on one of his puzzles, he is so proud of himself.....not to mention the fact that he is super cute and has the most adorable freckles!