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Laura Donovan's son reading
Courtesy of Laura Donovan
  • I had to wait months for my son to be evaluated to see if he had a disorder.

  • He can name every US president.

  • He has many of the qualities that I love about him.

Good night, Millard Fillmore. After James, my 3-year-old son, memorised the names and faces of every US president, he created his own version of Goodnight Moon.

After studying the shape of the US states and territories, James became interested in presidents. He was able to count to 120 before he was 2 years old because he knew everything about the ABCs. He can read about 15 words.

If you asked James his name and age, you would likely be met with a blank stare. If you said hello, he would probably remain silent until you identified the letter on your clothing. After you acknowledged his comprehension of the letter, he would say it repeatedly. He wouldn't say goodbye until you were out of his earshot.

My son has specific areas of interest, but is lacking in social reciprocity and cues because he has an illness.

We had to wait for an evaluation

We waited four months for an evaluation because there weren't enough experts to do it. James began showing signs of a condition called toe walking, huge reactions to changes in environment, resistance to haircuts, a sudden aversion to baths and swimming after previously loving both.

I don't want to change who James is at his core, even though I enroll him in early-intervention educational programs and speech therapy to aid his communication. He is so funny, entertaining, and engaging to be around because of his neurodivergence.

He can quote many movies

Home Alone and Dennis the Menace are our favorites in family films.

James quotes from movies and TV shows with the precise tone and rhythm of the actor speaking, and he will do it repeatedly until everyone is annoyed except the two of us.

echolalia is a disorder that involves the repetition of another person's words and is seen in children on the spectrum.

James used to recite lines from films all the time, using the emotion felt by the character. He might have said that he wasn't ready to leave the park.

I want him to express himself, but I also want him to not rely on fictional characters.

My son is observing children at the park, full of desire to join them, but with no clue where to start. The evaluating physician suggested that James swap his presidents cards with Pokémon cards. I don't think flash cards are the problem, or that a different kind is the solution.

He must first feel comfortable talking to other kids. The movie quoting, jittery love for letters and numbers, and knowledge of US figures and geography can help him find a friend who will be just as good as I.

The original article can be found on Insider.

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