Kristin is 8 and a half years old. Here's some details about Kristen:
Favorite Thing: Get soft plush animal for present ("What, no present? Everyday is present day!")
Favorite thing to do: "Go shopping for toys!"
2nd favorite thing to do: "Play Game Cube"
Least favorite thing to do: "Homework. We work hard all day at school. Why do we have to work when we get home?"
Favorite color: Blue
Favorite food: French fries
Favorite restaurants: McDonald's, Burger King and Friendly's. They have the best French fries.
Least favorite: "Japanese restaurants. They don't have French fries. What's up with that?"
Favorite toy: "Kirby, the action hero. Mom made him for me and stuffed him with beans. He's my heavy buddy and I take him everywhere. We always make sure his seat belt in on."
Kristen was three when she was diagnosed as autistic. She was a beautiful, quiet, angelic child. She did not speak and she would sit for hours playing with the same toy. The only time she ever gave her parents any trouble was when she was in a noisy, strange environment. Grocery stores were often difficult to get through.
By the end of her first year at Jowonio, she was talking, using short sentences. After two years at Jowonio, she could recite every word from her Winnie-The-Pooh video collection. During her third year, she wanted to visit the library and get a library card. After watching her art teacher for a few years, she decided to take art very seriously. Our family went through many a crayon, marker, and activity books.
When she entered Kindergarten at age 6, she was independently reading bedtime stories to her mother. On occasion, her Kindergarten teacher would let her read to the class. In first grade, Kristen fired her teacher's aid. She's a "big girl and doesn't need help", although, buttons give her a hard time and she sees no reason for keeping things organized. First grade was pretty easy, but she regressed to wanting to watch Teletubbies. This drove her mother mad! (Was this her plan?)
Second grade is going well. She doesn't like the homework and wants to back to preschool. Kristen is also very computer savvy. She is proficient in MS Word and numerous games.
