Gabriel is almost three years old--he will turn three next month. He is a clever, persistent, athletic, sweet-natured, and autistic little boy. His nicknames are Gabe, Gable-Gobbles, Goo-Boo, Goob, and Gaby Baby, though you're lucky if he responds to any of them.
His favorites:
Games--Gabriel likes to play physical games, usually where rules are not strictly adhered and he gets to run and jump around and just enjoy himself. He can kick, throw, or catch a ball, can run near-unceasingly, and has vast amounts of energy. Daily, we have to do sensory activities such as brushing him, deep pressure massage, deep pressure compressions, running, pushing Benjamin in a laundry basket, spinning, and wearing a weighted vest so that Gabe has the control and focus to practice communicative and social skills that he is currently lacking.
Activities--Gabe will wrestle with you just as long as you are willing to participate and he seems to think that whenever someone picks him up they are wanting to flip him. He is still all-around an outdoors kid and he hates to be stuck inside all day. Once we are out there, he likes to run and throw balls, swing on the swing set, jump off of things, and explore. In the shed, we have a spare bed frame that he likes to scale like he is climbing a mountain. Inside, bubbles are a big hit and one of the better motivators to get him to sign.
TV Shows--Veggie Tales.
That is all.
Just. Veggie Tales.
Food--We are not quite sure, but it seems like Gabe's olfactory and/or gustatory systems are hyposensitive, so overall he is generally uninterested in eating actual food, preferring instead to consume non-food items such as chalk, crayons, candles, rocks, dirt, mud, diaper wipes, cardboard, and paper. Per suggestion from his OT, we are going to start incorporating more exciting flavors such as lemon pepper and cinnamon into his meals to see if we can tempt him into trying a wider variety of foods. As of right now, he has a pretty standard list of foods that he will eat, none of which he is particularly enthused about but does not toss to the floor or blatantly ignore like he does other times.
Movie--Once again, Veggie Tales (particularly Jonah) are your best bet with Gabriel. But if you need a much needed break from that, "Monsters Inc", "Princess and the Frog", and Toy Story's 1 and 2 are usually good bets with him. He will watch Cars until after Mac loses Lightening on the interstate before he loses interest, and Disney's cartoon "Robin Hood" will sometimes hold his attention for a little while. He loves Mickey Mouse, he just hasn't seen an interpretation of Mickey yet that he just loved (having mostly watched Clubhouse Mickey and the old black and whites).
Songs--When he is upset, "The Sausage Man" song will generally calm him down. Other than that, he doesn't pay much attention. I sing "You Are My Sunshine" to him, and we have our end-of-the-day and our wake-up songs, none of which he protests, but I don't know if he is really listening or not.
Books--Gabe does not like to sit with people and read. He has no patience for how slowly you turn the pages, doesn't like hearing you drone on, and would much rather just look at the book himself, thank you very much. When the kids are bathing, I read aloud to them from whatever source I chose that day, be it a children's book or a book I'm currently reading (mostly parenting) or GameInformer and he seems to like that. On his own, he loves to flip through pages of...you guessed it--Veggie Tales books!
Toys--Bead tracks are still a favorite, and he likes balls. He has a big red soccer ball he likes to carry around and throw; maybe he would make a good goalie? He does seem to have a diminished pain tolerance. Firetrucks are a new big thing with him as well, especially ones that make too much noise and light up. Toy Story toys are good because he seems to remember them from the movies, and he adores Rex the Dinosaur because he roars and yells inappropriately in conversation, not unlike Gabe himself. His favorite though is his plush Larry the Cucumber. Because of course it is.
Gabriel is a mama's boy and has very strong opinions on how his day should proceed, including how mommy should (and should not) wear her hair. He is a wanderer, liking to get away from people to explore and be in the quiet or outdoors by himself. Given the choice, he would never wear shoes and rarely--if ever--wear clothes or diapers. Though he is developmentally delayed on several levels, anyone that spends time with him can tell you that Gabe is obviously an intelligent child with complex emotional levels; he is just currently unable to express it. Our family wouldn't be complete without our lovely, beautiful Gabriel!!
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