I'm hanging with Max in his room at bedtime. We've just finished reading a Thomas the Tank book, and now wants to flip through a mini album of photos from our last trip to Disney World. It's been months since we looked at the book, and he's excited all over again.
We get to this shot of the castle.
Max points to the turrets, puts one hand to his ear and makes a whooshing sound.
Hmmm. "Oh, Max, do you think the top parts of the castle look like rocket ships?"
"Noooooooo," says Max.
Again, he puts his hand to his ear and makes a whooshing sound.
"Are you saying you want to fly to Disney World?" I ask.
"Noooooooo," says Max.
Lately, Max is trying so hard to articulate words and show me things with his own kinds of signs. And there are times when I don't know what he's trying to say. I could run downstairs, get the iPad, see if it can speak the word for him. Except I don't always want a machine in between us. Obviously, the iPad is a breakthrough device for a child with speech challenges, but tonight Max has something he's eager to tell me and I want to encourage him to communicate on his own. I'd like to give him confidence that he himself has the ability to express words, thoughts, feelings. And that his mom can understand him.
Max whooshes again. Then it hits me. "Are you saying there are fireworks at the castle?" I ask.
"YESSSSSSSS!" Max says, smiling. And I give him a high-five, and we both laugh.
Victory.
