change

New Julia thing. She is beginning to spontaneously tell us about things -- events, actions -- without a directed question. When I ask her about school she sometimes tells me how she ate her lunch and worked on letters. This morning she told me that Jason had drawn a dinosaur for her and that he was a good drawer. These are small things but a beginning.

I had a discussion with her OT therapist, Annie, about Julia's inability, disinterest, or lack of understanding regarding games. I have been wondering about this for months but no one has been as concerned. Now, it is aparent that Julia can do games -- Annie gave her a hit the mole game, four plastic moles whose hats lit up, and the aim is to hit the mole with the lit hat with a plastic mallet. It took Julia a bit to get it, but she did, and then hit the correct mole 6 times in a row. Then, she stopped playing and started doing what she wanted to do. She held down one mole at a time, she hit moles that were not lit, she played with the buttons to turn the game on and off. No matter what Annie said to her, Julia was not interested in getting a higher score or in really playing the game with another person. Annie and I talked about the reason for this -- autism? lack of competitive spirit? some social skill lack? Some hole in her development?

Another mystery.