Proud Dad here!

[gamayun]

How very cool to have made such a connection (and discovery) with your son like that

[Dan GB]

Originally Posted by Fiveslide

My son is almost 4 years old, he is nonverbal and most likely will be diagnosed with autism.

He and I were out on the boat yesterday and traveled several miles to a Sandy beach to swim. When we were done with the swimming and getting settled for the ride home, he would absolutely not let me drive. I tried everything that normally gets him to sit down safely, he wasn't having it, he wanted to drive. I killed the engine and put him in the water, thinking this redirection would make him forget about driving. Nope, he wanted to drive.

I told him I would work the throttle and he could drive. This 4 year old with a developmental delay who can't tell you what he wants to eat without pointing and has never spoken his own name navigated and steered the boat entire distance back to our dock.

He didn't just have line of sight to our dock and drive straight. That wouldn't have been very amazing I don't think. He had to remember which beach we were at, know we needed to go south several miles, then keep to west side of the channel to avoid the shoal and go to our dock, which looks almost identical to the neighbor's docks. He even cut the wheel at the perfect time so I could put it in reverse, prop walk did its thing and we laid right along side our dock, perfectly. I never touched the wheel.

There are fully functional, boat-owning adults that couldn't have done it any better. Heck, some don't avoid the poorly marked shoal. My own father has seen that shoal with his own eyes when the water was down and didn't remember where it is last week.

When did you know your kid was going to make it as a boater?

That's such a nice inspiring story, thanks for sharing. Good for you for trusting your four year old (!).

There is a special joy reserved for parents which is seeing your kids click into something and falling in love with it out of the chute. My ten year old did that with soccer. He is certainly on a spectrum, though very borderline, struggles a bit with reading, ticks, but nothing like you are dealing with. But with his soccer, he is the school captain, got scouted for a decent team's young development squad. When they find something they love, it's amazing how much positive halo effect that creates.

I also have a 13 year old iPad boy like Sv Bacchus'. Made me chuckle, the joy of getting internet - exactly the same. Not sure if love of cruising will really take hold. At thirteen I think the days are very long and boring, the same days that later he will treasure. I hope

[WingRyder]

@OP (Fiveslide): Your story brought a tear to my eye. I can't begin to understand autism, nor the mind of ANY toddler/child for that matter. But, what your boy did is astounding and impressive. I have a 3.5yo myself, and he says and does things that stun me every day. quick example: We were @ Kennedy Space center, touring the Space Shuttle exhibit... some people were looking at the SRB's and main external tank... and my 3yo, told the people, "The Boosters land in the ocean." I almost died... I was so proud.

Your boy, may not verbalize, but he observes and retains information at an astounding level! My boy knows more about rockets than many adults, but he can't ride a pedal bicycle... Kids learn different things at different times. If it were me, I would let that boy drive your boat as much as possible!

Good on you Fiveslide! I hope to hear more about your impressive, heartwarming story.

~Harrison

[DumnMad]

Great stuff.
So many people are especially gifted in the 3D world but classified 'handicapped' by untalented 2D wordsmiths.

[WingRyder]

Originally Posted by DumnMad

Great stuff.
So many people are especially gifted in the 3D world but classified 'handicapped' by untalented 2D wordsmiths.

Very well stated sir! I think there are many "disorders" that are studied by "x" type personalities, that got their PhD in yadda. I was diagnosed with ADD, which is considered as a learning disorder... lol. I never performed well in
1960's school or structured learning, it seemed to me that they made it intentionally uninteresting and full of memorizing facts about otherwise amazing things! The most vivid memories of my K-9 education, were field trips!

We are letting 2D, flat thinkers educate 3d children, that may potentially be smarter than they are.

[Blackie Swart]

Really a nice "human" story to read to brighten up the day.

[Fiveslide]

Thank you all for the kind words. I wouldn't wish he was "normal" or change a thing about him. He's so much fun and amazing what he's capable of. He's getting better at communicating as he gets older, still way behind on language.

His "normal" cousins and other children we know are so boring. One is 5, he's the safety patrol, always making annoying comments about safety.

Sure, my son doesn't speak, but at least he's not scared of every fun little thing we enjoy. He's athletic, brave, adventurous and funny, stubborn as can be. I get tired of the comments from, like a few of you have said, 2d people. That's getting old and has come between myself and my parents, who don't think like we do, who want him to be normal. They always make snide little comments about what he can't do, don't celebrate the things he can do.

[Hardhead]

There are no limits to the human mind, just attempted limits imposed by others. This is a story of a great child, and a great father.

[Quebramar]

What you did with your son made me think of this sentence: there is no such thing as love, there’s only proof or signs of love...
You trusted him and shared with him your passion. Good on you as it made him feel unique in your very eyes... what a great way to raise a child, what a great proof of love!
This very moment will never be forgotten by this young man!

[a64pilot]

As a Father of a Son who was diagnosed with an Autism disorder long ago, I can tell you that often they are not less intelligent, often more intelligent than average people, it seems that their more focused on things. Sometimes they don’t do something not because they can’t, just they don’t want to or see the point.
It may change too as he ages, our Son as he went through puberty got “Better” he will always be different, socially awkward is one way to put it, but they can often lead a “normal” life, which used to concern me greatly, because hopefully he will out live me by decades.

Then almost exactly one year ago he was run over by a hit and run driver and had a traumatic brain injury and we were told he would need 24/7 care, he would never be able to function even at a base level by himself.
Then he made a miraculous recovery, and is living on his own again. He is in his 20’s.

He was very slow at learning to talk, and just one day began talking, pretty much perfectly, he never went through the baby talking phase.

With Autism, things change it seems, there isn’t much they can’t do once they set their mind to it, just they have to decide on their own that they want to do something. You can’t make our Son do anything, he is extremely headstrong, stubborn as hell.

If he likes boating, take him out and let him do it all, anything they like to do that isn’t harmful Is good. If he is like my Son though, likely he won’t take to instruction, he has to learn on his own.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Blackie Swart

Really a nice "human" story to read to brighten up the day.

I'll second that, great feel good story. Happy for you.

[Boatsie]

Awesome .
I've known 2 year olds that are fully grown as man (although coordination and hence strength is that of boy) with acceptance of a higher language yet written off as retarded; maybe due to patience. This language is slower and often written and said truthfully yet upon reading and interpretation translates as lie.
Glad your son is a winner. Helmsman junior ho.
Best luck with theory later on.