Moments of Clarity…

I wonder what I’ll Say Next

The causes of autism have been debated, speculated, and researched intensively in the last number of years. The theories have ranged from genetics, immunizations, dietary concerns, and many more. Over the years I have come up with my own theory…”The Loose Wire Theory.” I am being facetious, but it would explain how at times Jeffery will say things that are appropriate, lucid, and always unexpected.

Case in point – Scenario#1: We are sitting in the family room as it is getting dark. Jeffery walks into the room from the computer room to get his “Kisses” from Mom. Kathy stops him and asks him to turn on the lamp that is sitting on the mantle. He looks at her for a moment and starts to hand her the TV remote. “No, turn on the lamp.” He picks up the couch pillow and starts to hand it to her. “No Jeffery, Turn on the lamp.” After trying to give her everything that wasn’t nailed down, he walked over to the lamp and turned it on. “Turn on the one on the table, Jeffery.” He did so. “Now the one in the Hall.” He did so. “Great Job, Jeffery,” Kathy exclaimed. Jeffery walked to her, smiled and said “That was awesome!” Momentarily taken aback she immediately responded: “That WAS awesome Jeffery, Thank you so much!” “You’re Welcome,” he said with a smile and he was gone. The loose wire was touching…

Scenario#2: Our grandson Georgie is a little over 18 months and has started to dance whenever music is played. We are in the family room with Georgie and Jeffery is in the computer room across the hall. We are playing music on the stereo to watch Georgie “Get down with his bad self,” and Jeffery turns up the sound on the computer to try to compete with the sound of the stereo. After a brief battle of who can get the loudest, Kathy tells Jeffery to turn it down. He does so but after awhile the volume spikes up again. “Jeffery, Please turn the volume down.” Again he concedes and again the volume begins to creep back up…”Jeffery, Please!!” He comes into the room and agitatedly shouts: “I don’t WANT to turn it down!!!..and back to his cave he stomps…Wire Touching.

Scenario#3: During the summer we have hired one of Jeffery’s Instructional assistants from his new middle school to work with him. This has the double benefit of her getting used to and comfortable with him and visa versa….and Angie has been doing a great job with him. However, on her first few days with him, he tested her to see what he could and couldn’t get away and she found out what he liked and disliked. Toward the end of a day, she tried to see if he would read a book with her. Unfortunately, she was asking him at the computer. Not conducive to getting him to do much of anything when he is sitting at the holy shrine of HP. “Let’s Read a Book, Jeffery.” Jeffery turns toward her and says: “I don’t WANT to read a book!!! The audience was over….you can go back to your lives citizens. Wire touching….( coincidence that it happens so much when agitated??)Not sure…

Scenario#4: Toward the end of the school year, the principle of Jeffery’s school made a deal with the students if they achieved a certain goal, she would stand on the roof of the school. They succeeded so when Jeffery came to school one morning, there was the principle standing on the roof waving at the students. She called out to Jeffery, he looked up and shouted “JUMP!!” For some reason, the teachers in the immediate area seemed to find this funny! “Did you tell him to do that?” someone asked his teacher who was with him. “Not Me,” she said. The story soon spread throughout the faculty….wire touching….and somewhat telling…of what I’m not sure.

We never know when these fleeting glimpses of insight are going to happen, or the form they will take. However because of Jeffery’s challenges with communication, we have learned to enjoy and celebrate them, even if they are sometimes in moments of consternation. It is still a light of hope that someday these will be not the exception but the norm. Until then, we never take for granted these “moments of clarity.”