O is for #OperationIFO

It is not uncommon for individuals with ASD to have narrow food choices. This can be due to a number of reasons such as sensory sensitivities/aversions or an insistence on “sameness” and not just being “picky”.

If you are new to Riley World, you may not have heard of #Operation IFO (Increase Food Options). I started it the year Riley finished high school (2013) and we were taking a gap year.  You can read about it here.

It was one of many poor choices I would make.

Don’t get me wrong…we have made progress over the years but it takes time. And energy. A LOT of time and SO much energy. SO. MUCH. ENERGY!

Here’s a clip taken within the last year as we tried Mini Carrot Muffins. He has gotten so much better in trying new foods yet…still he is limited in his food choices. 

If you can't see the video, click here.

I guess why I tend to drop the ball over and over is that he is basically healthy and rarely gets sick. He has been keeping to his growth curve over the years. Sure, it’s a little inconvenient when we travel but I have gotten used to it and we have learned to adapt.

There are now food therapies and other interventions that were not as available when Riley was little. To be perfectly honest…I am tired. We both are tired and getting set in our ways. Is this a valid excuse for not trying?  Probably not. But in the big scheme of life…is it the worst thing that could happen. And if you think it is…I will have his bags packed and you can pick him up at any time.

The Journey to the Jam Sandwich

For the first decade or so of Riley World, when we were learning how to navigate this thing called autism, we pretty much walked on egg shells. It was hard for us to understand why or how so many things could cause such chaos in Riley World.

So, SO many things.

Things like a change in food packaging or when McDonald’s white bags were suddenly brown bags or it’s summer now so wearing a parka is perhaps not the best choice or when the power goes out and the clocks aren’t synced anymore so you need to remind everybody that THE CLOCKS ARE WRONG!!!

I need to stop. I’m starting to twitch.

We first started Operation IFO (Increase Food Options) in September 2013. Yes we’ve been at it for almost 6 years. Ok so not consistently but still...Six. LONG. YEARS. 

I made this video montage in the early days of Operation IFO. When there was a lot of table banging, whining and complaining. 

 If you can't see the video...click here.

As I watched this the other day, I realized how far Riley has come and that maybe it is me who is still the traumatized one. Maybe he's ready to try new foods. Maybe he's even excited to try new foods. Ok...maybe not. 

But look what happened when I decided to try a jam sandwich this weekend. Doesn't it look tasty...I cut off the crusts and everything.

And yes...I recorded it for you.

 If you can't see the video...click here.

I was all prepared to have to negotiate for him to eat 1 piece. Do wonders ever cease?!?!? 

It has been a journey. 

Let's Try This Again...

After I surprised Riley with a cheese quesadilla for lunch this happened the following day:

Me:  Ri, what do you want for lu..
R:    *before I could finish*   Grilled cheese.
Me:  Would you like a quesadilla or pasta?
R:    *in a dejected voice*  Pasta.
Me:   Red sauce or white sauce.
R:     White sauce.

Of course he muttered the entire time but he did manage to "eat" his way through with only a couple of gags/dry heaves.

I gave Riley a reprieve for one day before attempting the quesadilla a second time. I know. I’m a softie. 

A little insight before watching the video:

·         I cut the quesadilla into 4 pieces as opposed to 6. In Riley World, the fewer the number of pieces (regardless of size) the better.  :D

·         I used “new” crackers (ie. different size but ones he is used to eating) as a “distraction”. 

·         I am not concerned with table etiquette at this point ergo the conversation.

·         He likes to look at himself in the corner cabinet...it has glass doors.  :)

·         He often associates words/numbers to videos he watches. In this case it’s the number 6 which he often relates to the 6 pillars from the Kids for Character video he used to watch on VHS. Yea…it’s been going on for THAT long. 

Click here if you can't see the video.

The next step...getting him to eat a quesadilla out of the house because no, they are NOT the same. They are NEVER the same.  *sigh*

I Must Have a Death Wish...

Poor Riley.

He’s had almost a month of doing whatever he wants…when he wants and he has been loving it!  LOVING. IT!!!

Until today.

For the most part I have been happy to let him do his own thing. After all, we all need a break every now and then. Right?  RIGHT???

Well...that is...until today.

I was starting to feel a little guilty. One can never let your guard down for too long in Riley World. With vacations just around the corner I decided it was time to……wait for it…

…introduce Operation IFO once again. Yes of course there is video.  :D

Our last, well…to be perfectly honest…our only success from Operation IFO that has carried over to today would be a grilled cheese sandwich. And that was over 2 years ago. *sigh*

My biggest dilemma?  What to “introduce”. I racked my brain trying to think of food items that might “commonly”  be offered at restaurants (I’m referring to kid menus here).

And then…it came to me.  A cheese quesadilla.  Right???  It meets all the criteria of Riley World. Plain and bland.

Do not be fooled by this pic. The diameter is only about 5"...the size of a personal pizza.

I cut it into 6 pieces. Not too big...not too small...just right.  :D

And then...I called him.

Things I noticed:

·         My voice absolutely does NOT sound like that!!!  

·         He hasn’t lost his skill for negotiating. Although I needed to clarify 5 pieces vs. 5 bites.

·         He can stuff an incredible amount of food into his cheek without swallowing. 

·         There was no table slapping! Whoot!! Mark a big, fat, check mark under the success column.

In case you’re wondering what he’s doing at the end of the video…he’s checking out my calendar. A few swigs of apple juice and manners to boot. Guess we have come a long way since the beginning of IFO.  :D  

I Made My 1st Meme...#WordlessWednesday

Introducing...Operation IBW!!!

There was obviously something in the air this past month as I noticed that I was in good company during my blogging ummm hiatus. And that’s…o-kay.

So what better way to kick off my return with some video footage? Yes we are still working on OperationIFO  but heading into spring brings...are you ready...the introduction of Operation IBW (aka I’ll Be Whining). The possibilities with this one are endless I tell ya.  ;)

Now I am sure you have heard the old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”?  Well my friend Lori had one of those branch clippers on a stick that she bought on a whim and used only a couple of times. She gave it to G when she was moving. During the last snow G was in heaven. The branches on the trees around our yard were weighed down with snow so he was able to clip away to his heart’s content without the use of a ladder.  

It was a sunny day today so G decided to go out and clean up the tree carnage. “I” decided R should help him. Not sure who was least impressed…G or R?!?  So at 10:45 I shoved R out the door  R headed outside.

G started R off with a corn broom then switched him over to a push broom. Did you know a corn broom does not push well?? Conversely a push broom does not sweep well. Just an observation.

Betcha didn’t know that the operation of a push broom required a demonstration. Welcome to Riley World!  :D

Now even though I was still in my PJ’s, I decided audio was required so you could enjoy the full experience. My pleasure. Two more observations before this last clip:

• Did you know the words raking and sweeping are interchangeable???
• When sweeping does not work…kicking will do.

Riley held the bag helped G bag the branches and was outside for 1 hour!!!

Bet you can't wait for the next installment of Operation IBW right???  ;)

Operation IFO Outtakes

Last week I posted two more Operation IFO videos and mentioned having some “Ah-Ha” moments while watching them. I was going to explain. Really. I was. 

Of course...I didn’t.

I thought that would be the end of it. It wasn’t.

My friend Christine has been a great supporter of Operation IFO. Being an educator and a non-special needs parent; I value her interest and comments. Well…up until her last one that is.  :P  In a nutshell she was curious as to what my “Ah-Ha” moments were. And since she was such a good sport to do a follow-up post on her blog for a fellow commenter…how could I not do the same for her.

I got into it. I was going to explain all about communication in Riley World. I was linking to definitions/terms, blog posts and articles. It was going to be an eye-opening and insightful piece. Then I remembered. I don’t do insightful and eye-opening pieces. What was I thinking?!?!

So...sorry Christine. I…I…could not put into words my Ah-Ha moments in any sort of clear or coherent explanation what-so-ever. Obviously communication challenges just don’t happen in Riley World.  :(

Instead while I was going through all my video clips I decided to make a video montage of our journey in Operation IFO to date. 

I present to you...Operation IFO: Outtakes!!

 If you can't see the video...click here.


How on earth I have survived...I will never know?!?  :)

"I'm Eating With Us!!" #Operation IFO

Videotape teaching (or microteaching as it is also known) is not new. In the past we tried using it with Riley on a few occasions; G has had his golf swing taped; and I found it helpful when G taped one of my first dragon boat races.

Now one would think that after 15+ years I would be ummmm well versed in all things Riley. Apparently not. Could it be that after 15+ years of hearing the same thing over and over and over until my ears were bleeding I learned to just nod my head with a smile on my face while repeating my part of the script?  :O  So not surprising that I would find our Operation IFO videos helpful...even insightful.

I started to write about my “Ah-Ha” moments after watching the videos. I was trying to make it brief and to the point. I couldn’t. It got very lengthy, wordy and did not make a lot of sense. So I decided to leave it for another day. Or not. Probably not. You never know. Somehow I doubt it though. 
  

So instead here are 2 videos taken with this month's Operation IFO goals...eating dinner together or as R likes to say "I'm eating with US!" on a more regular basis. As you can imagine he was so not thrilled. Last week we managed eating 2 dinners in 4 days together. Go me.

This first video features a few pieces of chicken (newish to Operation IFO), carrots and rice (not new; not desirable). My new camera apparently cuts off heads. Go figure. I will confess to operator error and not blame Big Red.

FYI:  Yes, R did call G “Your Majesty” and Tammy…that fork bang at 1:35 was for you.  ;)

If you can't see the video...click here.

The second meal came after his first day of snowshoeing. On his plate was salmon (2^nd time), tofu (regular food item) and rice. It took all of 2:30 for him to finish. So much for eating with us.

If you can't see the video...click here.

With so many activities, work, etc. do you have a hard time sitting down for a meal as a family?  If not...what the hell am I doing wrong?!?!?  

2 Words...Fettuccini Alfredo!! #Operation IFO

Has it really been 2 weeks since my last Operation IFO post??? *Gasp*  Between R’s sore mouth, trying to be Thankful every week and decorating the house…need I say more?!?

A couple of things you may notice…

• R is wearing a different shirt and shorts. Today was laundry day and lunch was mid-cycle.  :)
• He avoids the left side of his mouth and uses a straw to drink his juice. R’s mouth has been sore…AGAIN! *sigh*  

As a warning…fettuccini is not Riley-friendly. It is hard to stab in his usual piston like manner. It slops around and is messy. There is a lot of hand-shovelling and food hanging out of his mouth. Some may think R’s table “manners” are ummmm…lacking. You would be right. However at this point…it is all about eating the food. Etiquette can come later. 

This was what he started with:

Viewer Warning: This is a long one my friends. Just under 11 minutes. I was trying to edit it because let’s face it…even G and I were getting tired of watching. However I decided that a few seconds here and there would interrupt the flow so instead I will make note of some of the highlights so you can skip ahead should you decide to watch.

0:20:    R: “You don’t have rice for dinner.” – Riley’s way of saying he wants oyako-donburi for dinner…not just rice.  :)

0:32:    R: “We’ll be back in time for Christmas.” – Riley World is going on location in a bit and R was concerned we would not be back in time to open presents so he has been perseverating feels the need to keep confirming.

1:18:    Pours his own juice at the table.

2:06:    R and I have a conversation about the decorations.

2:20:    R’s response to “thanks/thank you” from anyone is “Awww…that’s nice.”

3:44:    I suggested he needed another napkin.

4:00:    He was not happy about my suggestion to wipe his mouth.

4:52:    R looking at his reflection in the corner cabinet (has glass doors).

5:53:    Token gagging.

6:28:    Desperately trying to make eye contact begins.

7:57:    Flicking pasta – gets some on his t-shirt.

8:30:    Flicking continues.

9:20:    R: “I’m full now.”  A few seconds later… “Please.”  *Gulp*  

10:28:  Makes sure he pushes in his chair before leaving. 

I suggest you go empty your bladder, grab a snack or meal and get into your comfy clothes. Here we go...

Click here or on the picture to watch the video.

This was what was left:

If it wasn’t for my friend Tammy and her ummm not-so-subtle hint…you may have been spared this IFO video. So blame her for this feature length movie.  :P

Have a great day!!

Can You Count to a Bajillion??? #Operation IFO

Does anybody else remember the Toyota commercial from the 70's with the tagline "You asked for it, you got it...Toyota!"  I do. Hence our latest video of Operation IFO: The Smoothie Edition; Part 2. 

But before we go any further, I went and searched YouTube to see if I could find the Toyota commercial for those of you who might not remember/know it. I came across this from "Forget Paris". Visions of Riley World 60 years into the future flashed before my eyes or maybe it was just Billy Crystal's reaction that I could relate to. Perhaps a little tooooo well.  :D  

Click here to watch the video.

On to our video. See if you can answer these 3 questions after you finish watching:

• How many times did R say a variation of “I’ll be whining?”
• How many times did R put down his glass (hoping to be finished) then pick it up and continue drinking??
• How many times did R try and make eye contact with me?

Are you ready???  Watch and count...    (PS  Tammy…you will not be disappointed.  *wink*)

Click here to watch the video.

As soon as I gave Riley the “one more”…he took one last quick sip and was done!  Oh and his reference to Bonnie Hunt at the very end???  That would be me. Bonnie Hunt plays the mom in Cheaper By the Dozen. She may be blonde and have a dozen children...other than that?? We are the same.  :D

Happy Hump Day!

Operation IFO takes on SMOOTHIES!!!

*Cue Music*  And………

When I announced we were going to try smoothies in Operation IFO, I also mentioned there were a number of sensory sensations involved with drinking said smoothie in Riley World. My now IRL bloggie friend Bec came up with an ingenious suggestion (as always). Start off with a non-diary version. Use apple juice (since R will drink that) instead of milk/yogurt. D’oh!! *slides yogurt to the back of the fridge*

And so we started with this…

As with anything new…I started off small. There was only 4 ounces in his glass. 

I anticipated much gagging and protesting so I reverted back to the good ol’ days when a desired food was on standby (at the table and ready to eat as soon as he finished the new food). I assumed my no eye contact stance and called R to the table.

Click here to watch video.

You're shocked aren't you??  I was! Now much of the time when the straw was in R’s mouth he was not actually drinking anything. Oh. Next time...I am going with a bigger cup.  ;P

Have a great weekend!!

Look who found us on Twitter??? #Wordless Wednesday

And I didn't even use a hashtag!  Haaahaaa!

Riley World Masters Michelina's #Operation IFO

Last Thursday we made a giant leap forward in Operation IFO, just shy of 2 months from our first breakthrough!

I did not video this time. I thought it would be much of the same and for the most part I was right. I still heard “I’m tired of eating”. I still heard “How many more can I eat?” and I still needed to remind him to chew and swallow. Only this time there was actual eating happening. As in he would scoop two or three pieces of pasta onto his fork as opposed to the one-at-a-time piston-like manner when he first started.

Since Riley said he preferred the white sauce pasta the last time…white sauce pasta it was. I fished out the chicken pieces and served up the entire package on his new plate. Voila!

This was left. Granted we negotiated this last bit but there were only 21 pieces of pasta left! Of course I counted.

I am feeling SO positive that this week we are going to try…wait for it……smoothies!!!  :O 

What’s that you’re thinking???  Everybody likes smoothies! Oh my. Are you new here? That’s OK. Let me explain. Riley has never, EVER had a milkshake. He does not eat ice cream (although he used to eat orange sherbet). He does not drink milk (although he will eat minigo to take his meds). The only fruits he eats are grapes, apples and apricots (as in jarred baby food apricots).

The number of sensory sensations involved with drinking a smoothie in Riley World??? You be the judge. First, there is the texture…thick, heavy and creamy. Next, the temperature…remember R likes his drinks with NO ice. Then there are the new flavours…I am going with peaches first (close to apricots). I think they will blend up smoother with minimal visible flecks of fruit...remember flecks are unacceptable in Riley World. Finally although Riley can drink from a straw, the difference in texture will require him to suck harder in order to get anything. Think triple thick shakes vs. soda pop. Hmmm…maybe we will start without a straw.

So why on earth would I want to try smoothies?? Have you seen the number of smoothie places? We could have nourishment available almost anywhere! I am also hoping that eventually we could add protein powder and maybe even a vegetable for more nutrition. Am I delirious?? Probably. WTH! Go big or go home right??? 

Pretty sure the NO eye contact/conversation technique will once again come into play.  :D  Wish us luck!

He Ate it ALL!!! #Operation IFO

I decided to try a different plating technique. It is one often used for portion control. Like a lot of things it is all about perception. Of course in Riley World things usually work the opposite way. For example I wanted more to look less therefore I reversed the theory. I used a larger plate instead of his usual plate. Check this out:

R's usual size plate.

Dinner size plate.

OK…so maybe it does not really look all that different or else you are thinking it looks like there is more food on the larger plate. Well you would be right. The larger dinner plate actually had almost double the amount as the smaller plate. I took about 1/3 and gave Riley about 2/3 of the package. But…compared to this…

…considerably ‘less-looking’ as in more plate space. 

Wouldn’t you agree???

  

As usual here are a few highlights and comments for those not wanting to watch the entire video (just under 5 minutes this time).

My voice is much more expressive. We have moved to the next stage where positive reinforcement and enthusiasm ‘can’ work (not always) as motivation. There was even some eye contact.  :) 

:50 -     R tries to gather and separate the pasta.

I just can’t help myself sometimes. The ‘mother’ in me has a need to say I told you so reinforce the choices/options that were given and the final outcome. And so a “discussion” of choices begins. Here you will see some of the challenges we have when it comes to Riley’s receptive-expressive language.      

3:10 -   Discussion of choices.

3:55 -   Tomato vs. “White” sauce.

4:35 -   Gag reflex improving.

Click here to watch the video.

For the first time in a long time, I actually felt like we were moving forward and one day we may be able to order a plate of pasta off the menu!  Whoo-hoooo!!!!! 

Michelina's Meets Riley World in#Operation IFO

I usually make pasta sauces from scratch. It is part of my on-going campaign for Mother of the Year. However, when I only require 1-2 tablespoons of sauce I am not as inspired. Will this hurt my chances for MOTY? Will it appear that I do not love my children as much as those who make cookies from scratch or prepare Pinterest-worthy lunches?? Oh well.

As I was wandering around the grocery store on the weekend looking for some easy alternatives I happened upon these…

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a new discovery. It is just that Riley has never had them. I scanned the varieties and spotted two that could possibly work in Operation IFO. The Penne Pollo – pasta in a cream sauce with cooked chicken pieces (we could dispose of these) and the Rigatoni Pomodoro – pasta in a spicy (this could be iffy but…) Italian style tomato sauce. They were on sale for only $1.00 each so I thought to myself WTH! 

One of the things I have noticed about videoing Operation IFO are things that I should have done differently. For example I put waaaaay too much pasta on his plate. When he was little I used to actually count out the specific number of pieces that he would have to eat. Why did I not think to do that now? Well honestly…I do not want to count anymore. More importantly what if he actually liked it!?!  Baaahaaahaaa!    

This video is on the long side (~6 min) so here are the CliffsQuickReview:

1:55 -   R starts negotiations. This time he starts with 20. It used to be 10. The last time I said  20. Memory like a steel trap.

2:28 –   Gag reflex still works.

2:40 –   R admiring himself in the glass cabinet.

2:50 –   Begins counting down in hopes of getting me to agree.

3:15 –   Starts separating 20 from the pack.

3:50 –   Confirms there are indeed 20 pieces.

5:20 –   R is great at remembering to tuck in his chair when he is finished. Once I confirm he is indeed finished, he sits back down to finish his juice.

5:30 –   R is a pleaser (after the fact of course) as evidenced here .  

Mmmmm...doesn't this look tasty? 

Click here to see Riley's reaction.

Will this ever end?!? I (and no doubt you) am getting bored with all of this.  :( 

Stage 2 , Part 1 of Operation IFO: Introduction to Sauces

At 19, Riley continues to grow and surprise us. What used to be cause for meltdowns (changes in routine or something different…well…anything different) has, with time and maturity, become manageable. We still need to proceed with caution only now we do not need to worry so much about hearing loss (mine) or the physical/emotional aftermath (both of us).     

Since Riley has not been keen to cook his own lunch I decided it was time to move on to Stage 2: Sauces & Condiments of Operation IFO. I was nervous. Extremely nervous. In the past, introductions to new foods would bring on a flurry of loud, vocal outbursts and table-slapping. It was not fun. It was not pretty.

There is so much more to sauces than meets the typical eye. There is colour, texture, taste and of course, green flecks. Colour is not so much a factor in Riley World but green flecks and too strong of a taste can be a definite turnoff. I needed to be aware. 

My girlfriend had a great suggestion. Alfredo sauce. I immediately went out to buy some. It sat on the counter for about a month. Last week…I was finally ready. I heated a small amount up as the macaroni was cooking. I tried some. While it was edible, there was a definite cheesy/strong taste to it. I needed to come up with something more familiar. 

So instead I hunted around in the fridge and found some tomato sauce. I picked out as many green flecks as I could and added one whole tablespoon to the macaroni. I needed to start off slow. 

While I edited the video down from the original 6 minutes to just less than 4 minutes see if you can count how many times he…

·         says “How many can I eat?”

·         says “I’m tired of eating.”

·         swallows.

This is what was left...

Click here to see the video.

Feel free to leave me your answers in the comments.  :D

We are COOKIN'......#OperationIFO

Did you think I had given up??? You would be close. Although the introduction to new food groups in Operation IFO has yet to happen we have been eating a few meals together again…well at least for the 3 minutes Riley is at the table.

Riley keeps me on my toes which means I have to change things up. Often. I usually offer Riley at least one preferred food choice per day. After all…I don’t want his system to go into shock.  :) 

About a week ago I decided it was time to reintroduce cooking lunch. R used to cook his lunch two times a week at school. It never transferred home. I know. My bad. I thought the easiest way would be to start Riley off with hotdogs. OK…really just the wieners. Having to eat the bun as well as cooking would have been too much to handle in one meal. For both of us. It actually went better than I thought. A few vocal outbursts; some intermittent hand-slapping; otherwise…pretty uneventful.

Today I decided it was time for another cooking session. Much to my surprise Riley opted for perogies. Sorta.

Me:       For dinner tonight I’ll make you oyako-donburi*.

R:         YES!  (happy as a clam)

Me:       So for lunch YOU can make hotdogs or YOU can make perogies.

R:         Thinking…  Perogies. I’M HUNGRY! (NOT)

Me:       You want to make perogies?  (very surprised but tried not to sound it)

R:         NO!!  You can do it!

Me:       I'M going to make YOU dinner. YOU can make lunch.

R:         I’LL BE WHINING!  TOOOO-GETHER!!!

Me:       Sure. We can make it together.

*Riley World version.

Lucky for you I got some of it on video. In the beginning I was only going for audio then thought…WTH! Get it all on tape. I have nothing to hide. Except perhaps that I was still in my PJ’s.

As I was watching, some things really stuck out for me. Some are observations (mostly about me), some are reminders (mostly for me) and some are eye-openers (again FOR me). The up/downside of video-teaching. Let me explain.

First the observations:

·         My voice!  I am just getting over a cold. I usually sound worse.  :D

·         Riley is wearing the same t-shirt and shorts. Those are his home clothes. I do wash them regularly. 

·         My monotone voice. I never used to sound that way. I used to be very enthusiastic and animated. Ok so not nearly as much as my sister *wink* yet waaaay more energetic than now. Why?? Well in Riley World: The Early Years, we found that Riley was extremely sensitive to the inflections of a person’s voice. A calm and even sounding demeanour worked best. At times very difficult when I was tired and stressed out to the max.

·         I appear to be ignoring much some of Riley’s comments/questions. Ummm…yea. Busted. Haha! Actually I am trying to prevent an outburst and redirect his need to perseverate about his displeasure.

·         I say “Nice job!” and “Good job!”…a LOT!! Positive reinforcement is key in Riley World.  :)

Second some reminders:

·         I should have found out how he cooked perogies at school. How did they drain the perogies? Did they use a strainer, colander, or scoop them out of the boiling water? Easier to transfer learned skills than starting from scratch.

·         You will notice G stepping in to help Riley drain the pot. I do the same thing. I see something R may be struggling with/to do and immediately want to help him. We need to let out the apron strings as much as we can. 

Last…eye-opener:

·         There is this thing called echolalia and it is HUGE in Riley World. I am going to defer to my now IRL bloggy friend Bec’s post “Understanding Echolalia” for an explanation. I hope you pop over and read it. It explains a LOT!

When I say Riley repeats things…I mean he really, REALLY repeats things. Sometimes when a person (that would be moi) hears or sees the same thing over and over and over AND OVER again, said person begins to ummm...errrr...well...tune/blank out. For me it has been a survival thing. Listening/watching the same 7 second sequence of the same show for the 50 bajillionth time over 14+ years……I am only human. 

In the video, when Riley is sitting at the table and talking about Hansel & Gretel…that is an example of one of those times. Riley repeats/scripts when he is stressed. He repeats/scripts as a stim. He repeats/scripts as a conversation starter. Different situations, at different times yet all for different reasons. Yup. Echolalia in Riley World…a hard one to figure out and one that I am still learning about.

Oh…I just about forgot. Here is the video:

Click here or on the picture to watch the video.

Are you working on anything challenging in your World?  How's it going???