Taking the Scenic Route

Baby steps the right direction.

Tonight we were playing on the porch (Zane was directing Zach on how to draw train tracks and where to draw buildings & trees, ect).  Robert stopped by.  As usual, we prompted Zane:  ” Say ‘hi Robert’ “, and don’t really expect a response…although he occasionally will respond with the phrase “say hi Robert”  (exact echo).  Tonight he simply said “Hi Robert”.  A few minutes later the scene was repeated when our neighbor gal stopped by while getting her mail.  Cool!  He finally seems to really get that the word “say” is not part of the phrase, but rather an instruction. 

Even cooler, after saying hi to our neighbor, he preceded to show her a blank piece of paper he was carrying and talk to her, shifting his gaze from the paper to her.  Granted, we couldn’t understand everything he was saying, but he was showing her something/talking about the paper and making eye contact at the same time.  (gaze shifting and showing are both things he has problems with). 

She was so excited.  She has known him a year and he has never called her by name (although he does get very excited to see her and it is obvious he likes her)  It was nice to see.