Can. Will. Change. You?

Let’s just end the debate right now. Noah’s smile is hands down the greatest smile in the history of smiling smiles. When he wants to smile, everybody around him will be smiling too. As we often say, “when Noah is happy, the world is happy.”.. Just like Buddy the Elf.

While there are clearly large swaths of skills that Noah has deficits in and he is more often measured by them, he has distinct strengths too. In a world where he is most often known by his severe autism with an intellectual disability label, these strengths don’t quite fit the category. Then again, our family makes a habit of exploding categories and tearing down artificial labels & expectations.

Noah has an innate ability to infect everyone around him with not only his smile, but his laugher. He laughs with unguarded abandon, cutting through the careful – cutting through the conservative. He laughs with joy overflowing. Others see it and are sucked into his orbit of love and amusement, casting their cares and worries away – if only for a few moments.

In some ways, on some days he can communicate more simply and bluntly than we can. In those moments he will come to you, grab your hand and lead you to something he wants – often in the kitchen.

In some ways, on some days he’ll work an iPad better than I can. The speed and accuracy with which he scrolls, and clicks doesn’t fit with a child who has ID.

In some ways, on some days he can connect more simply and bluntly than we can. He will grab a nearby big blanket that we keep nearby for him. He’ll lay on the floor and cover up completely – head to toe. Many times he will invite you in, under the blanket, away from the sensory overload of the world. I’ll often lay down next to him, with only my head under the blanket, face to face with him. He’ll smile and giggle and want to be tickled and it will produce a connection unmatched in the busyness of our lives.

He loves unabashedly. He connects unquestionably. He inspires undeniably.

He is singularly responsible for making his mother his sister and I better people. Who knows how many others he has influenced directly or indirectly? We are better advocates because of him. His mom helps lead the local Special Education Advisory Committee because of him. His dad became a special needs teacher because of him. His sister has become an extremely tolerant, helpful and loving young woman because of him.

There are some very impactful things Noah CAN do. Among them, he can change.. you.