Just for kicks. Tyler in 13.

Trip to pool and park
Originally uploaded by djtyler5

1. He has to ask permission for everything thing he eats and drinks. This includes using the bathroom too. It sounds like this: i what I what I what I what? as he sticks the item in your face.
2. Seasonal stims. With the dry weather, Tyler will lick around his mouth and get it chapped very quickly. He has three looks: Hitler, Fu Man Chu and Parenthesis. Right now we are down to one parenthesis on his left cheek.
3. When he goes up stairs he has to step with both feet on each step. It makes a little cadence when he does it. That's how we know he's coming up to use the computer.
4. The boy cannot stand still. He is bouncing like tigger all day. He has graduated to tolerating sitting next to his dad on the couch.
5. His favorite movie is Toy Story and he will sit and watch it at the computer for hours until he poops his pants. He rewinds the same phrases over and over again.
6. He loves the sensation of pencil on drywall. Hence I find little "decorations" all around the house. He also loves painting. Both using actual paint and flicking the paint brushes.
7. He is obsessed with tape measures. For his 13th birthday we bought him a giant package of assorted sized measuring tapes from Lowes. He has been playing with them all day every day, non stop.
8. Tyler CANNOT take toys to bed. He will stim on them and stay awake till midnight without fail.
9. Hand the boy a plastic bag, straws, springs from ball point pens,(the expensive kind), and he will come up with something interesting to twirl and flap.
10. The boy cannot stand to leave my ball point pens alone. You know the ones that you click open and closed? He takes out the springs inside. Refer to item #9.
11. Tyler's favorite food is french fries and he will steal yours if you aren't looking.
12. The vowel sounds are a permanent fixture in his vocabulary, all day, every day, every minute. Our favorite is " eeeeee". The volume is non negotiable.
13. Tyler's absolute number one stim is playing in the surf. He will play in the waves all day without fail. The boy even loves looking at surfing magazines! Next year he will get to participate in the autism surfing program for sure.


I cannot believe that this kid is now taller than me.