Oliver - in his own words.

I've been working on some writing prompts with the kids, gearing up for the creative writing class I'm organizing with our homeschool co-op starting next month. I'm trying to make the prompts fun, things that might appeal to young boys: How would you outsmart a groundhog that was after your prize tomato? and How would you get a dragon out from under your bed? then, What would you do if you got to spend a day with a dragon? It has been fun -- and enlightening -- to read what the boys come up with. And our discussions about imagination often lead into the next subject of our day: science. I really, really love watching the kids make these connections. And Oliver, for his part, is much more of an active participant in our discussions than I ever imagined possible. It is breath-taking to think of how much has changed for him, for us, in just a few short months. I love sitting down for "school" with him every day and I think he does, too.

Yesterday, I had not come up with an exciting writing prompt, so I simply asked Oliver to tell me about himself. This is what he wrote:

"My name is Oliver. I will be ten years old on Saturday. I have autism. That means that I have a hard time making friends and that some more things are hard. Like talking. My brain works different from yours. I am really good at riding my bike, spelling, and math. I like to swim in the ocean. I have a brother named Sami and a brother named Luke."

He forgot to include that he is easy to love and has an incredibly beautiful smile and that he inspires me every single day.