"Love"

"Love" was the first sign Kimmie learned. She signed it a lot when she was little, but then stopped using it. Her most frequently used word is "hug" which is a similar sign to "love". Today it is extremely rare for her to sign "love".

I remember when she was about 2 years old and we took her to see the geneticist. Kimmie was toddling around the small room when the doctor came in with his assistant. He sat down in a chair and Kimmie toddled over to him. She climbed up in his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. Then she sat back on his lap and signed "love". The doctor and his assistant looked at us to interpret. We told them she signed "love". He melted. When we received a copy of his evaluation he noted not once but three times that she was a very affectionate child.

I have always thought this incident eliminated autism as a possible diagnosis.

--Mom