Experiment #1: The Light (Bee-Lah!!!) Bulb

One of my son's obsessions is lights. He loves lights. No matter where we go, what we're doing, or what else I might be trying to show him, he has to point out anything that might be spinning, and....lights, which he calls, "bee-lahs". It's his own word for light. From reading, I've learned that autistic kids often make up their own words for things, and it's common for them to have obsessions. Rather than trying to get their minds off their obsessions, reading has suggested that they be used to involve the child in activities.
My wonderful husband saw a basic electronic experiment kit on the internet, and bought it to do the experiments with my son.
With the patience of several saints, my husband worked with our son on making a circuit with a switch that turned on a little LED (a light emitting diode).
The first step was to make sure that my son was secured into his therapy chair, because having the weight on his lap from the straps and having the input of the hard wood going into his back, bottom, and feet help to keep him focused...as much as he can be.
I think he really enjoyed himself, and I think my husband did too. I think it was a wonderful project for them to do.
My daughter now has the flu that my son had last week, and he's been home from school, so it's great that he had some individual attention focused on him.
Then my husband put together his Big Wheel. It was a good night. :)