I had to share these pictures of Toby sporting a bubble afro in the bath. He has a real thing for bubbles – likes to eat them too and drink gallons of bathwater and always has a major fat nappy about half an hour after his bath! Often autistic kids are compelled to eat strange things – I’ll spare you some of the more disgusting items he’s consumed but some of his previous snacks have consisted of dirt, leaves, erasers, twigs, soap, crayons and a pair of Barbie shoes! It’s one of the reasons I keep him constantly in my sight and why I often have little teeth marks on my fingers from hooking out offending items as quickly as possible! Still, with a face that cute you just have to forgive him!

You can always tell when Toby has been in a room. For a start there’s a tell-tale trail of crumbs from his constant munching (he ‘grazes’ all day), then there’s another trail of discarded clothing (he’ll not wear trousers or socks in the house) but the biggest give-away is the little stacks. Everywhere he goes he is compelled to stack items. It always makes me smile as I wander round the house after he’s gone off to school which is something I need to do today. This last week he’s been very distressed to leave his beloved lego stack at home (school won’t allow him to take it as it ‘distracts’ him). It’s hard to wrench it off him in the mornings and drag him to the school bus crying and screaming while trying to reassure him that lego will be there after school. I’m looking at the battered and chewed lego now, sitting on his little table ready to  be taken up and ‘loved’ when he gets home- who knew lego could be a snuggly?