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You are here: Home / Parenting / Autism / Tied up

Tied up

March 13, 2013 by Christine

I wrote this post last August with the firm knowledge that my boy would eventually be tying his own shoelaces.

Before I sent those awesome Lego shoes to school I did what I think was probably the most crucial step to Cuyler succeeding in this task.
I dyed the shoelaces. One half of the lace pink, one half blue.
That gave each hand (and lace/colour) a specific purpose. It was just what this visual kid with fine motor delays needed.
We broke it down into very small steps and it wouldn’t have happened without the consistency, patience and support of his EA.
It was around mid-January that she gave me the update that he was 97% there with the shoelaces.
Yesterday I took the boys shoe shopping and let Cuyler pick any pair he wanted.
He looked at the wall of shoes and immediately found the pair.
He slipped his feet into the shoes and proceeded to tie them up

dcshoes1.jpg

and tie them up he did

dcshoes.jpg

He stood up, took a few steps in his new kicks and proclaimed

“I’m a real boy now!”

I think what he meant was that he was a big boy. But for a split second I wondered if he felt “less than” when he couldn’t tie his own shoes. Then I laughed, thinking he sounded like Pinocchio.
I then focused on the excitement Cuyler was feeling in his new shoes.
Watching him walk the store, looking down at his feet with a smile filled me with an immense sense of relief. It’s another one of those minor milestones that truly feels like a major victory. He has mastered one more skill. Another step towards independence.
Not to mention a whole new world of shoe selection has just opened up for him!

He can tie his shoes.
He did it.
I knew he would.

 

Filed Under: Autism Tagged With: autism, DC shoes, dyeing shoelaces, fine motor delays, learning a new skill, mastery, new shoes, special needs, tying shoelaces

Comments

  1. Sara says

    March 19, 2013 at 9:20 am

    How the hell did I miss this!!! Go CUY!!! Love it so much!

  2. Kath says

    March 13, 2013 at 10:47 pm

    So awesome! Those incremental skills and new milestones are so important. A real boy now…love.

  3. Jen says

    March 13, 2013 at 6:33 pm

    I welled up when he said, “I’m a real boy now!” What a great accomplishment and it is so nice to hear how proud he was of himself.

  4. Tracey says

    March 13, 2013 at 11:40 am

    Oh, Christine!! How WONDERFUL for him! For both of you… wow. How accomplished he must feel. *sniff* Spiffy kicks, too!!

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