The Amazing Bug Boy

Bug Boy is one amazing kid. And I am not just saying that because I am his mother (although I am a tad biased in that respect). He is five, very precocious and full of energy. He was a late talker by developmental standards and didn't babble or even say one word until two-and-a-half, when he spoke in COMPLETE sentences and paragraphs. He was articulate and rarely mispronounced anything, although we have a list of "bug boy-isms" such as:

• Gutchy (yucky)
• An-too-blantz (ambulance)
• suh-pa-ghetti (spaghetti)
• Hop-sit-all
• Dro-dro (Alyson, we are still scratching our heads about this one!)

And he didn't just say one or two things. This child was not reticent by ANY means of the word. He never stopped. Ever. Not for a minute. He narrated everything he saw and did. His speech was an endless stream of his thoughts, and he did not keep his thoughts hidden inside! Here is an example of a conversation with Bug Boy:

BB: Mom! Did you see that? That was a jeep! Daddy has a jeep! A CJ-7! That was NOT a CJ-7 'cause they don't make 'em anymore. That was a bad jeep. Daddy doesn't have a bad jeep. His is black. That jeep was not black. That jeep was red! You know who has a red car? Gammy! And so does Pop-Pop! And Uncle John has the same car as Pop-Pop. They have broncos. Uncle Jay had a bronco. I saw a bronco right there! Look!

Mommy: Uh-huh...

Yes. The conversation goes just like that. He jumps from one subject to the next. And it is all. one. breath. No stopping, and it is faster than a speed talker.

Early on we gave him the nickname of "Rain Man" because the kid sounds like Dustin Hoffman rocking on the porch getting upset about People's Court. And Bug Boy does get that upset about things when they don't go his way or he is late or thinks he has to do something.

We have since realized that is not an appropriate moniker, mostly because now both boys have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum disorder. Bugaboo was diagnosed with Autism and Bug Boy was diagnosed with Asperger's/PDD, depending on whom you ask. And here is the freakiest thing about it: I have a few nephews, all from my three sisters, that have VERY similar traits. One has a diagnosis of Asperger's, one most likely has PDD (Bug Boy's twin) but is doing VERY well, and the other we are certain has Autism, although his mother refuses to have him evaluated because "psychologists and doctors are quacks." And, we are holding our collective breaths on the baby, he turns one in July and I am PRAYING his pattern doesn't follow the others. But so far it has.

And the amazing part? He is one smart cookie. He may not get the pragmatics of language but he can memorize everything he sees and hears. And he never forgets, the little elephant. He is hyperlexic (affinity for letters) and is reading on a first grade level. And we didn't teach him, he just "gets it" on his own. Weird! At the age of two, just after he learned to talk, he'd point to a stop sign and say, "That's a red octagon! And it says S-T-O-P! STOP!" It astounded everyone around us. And now when he goes to the Red Bulls Eye Store he gets into conversations with the cashiers and others shopping around us and tells them his whole life story (which is a bit unnerving!):

BB: My name is Bug Boy middle name last name andI live at 123 Main Street in Anytown, Pennsyl-VAN-ia and my mom's name is M-j and my Dad's name is Darling and my brother's name is Bugaboo and I have a dog named Shadow. I go to school at XYZ preschool and I am in Mrs. Teacher's class and next year I will be in Kindergarten! Because I don't know my teacher's name yet because I went to visit the school and I really like it. I will have OT. I like OT, it is really fun!

Person is store: Uh huh...

People think it is cute, but it is REALLY dangerous. Which is why he won't learn his SS number or my credit card number. Ever.

I will leave you with one final conversation between Bug Boy and his 'twin' cousin, Dino Boy:

BB: Hey! Dino Boy! Let's play crash-up derby with my Nascars! Here is the track, it is a Bristol Night Race. Jeff Gordon crashed and Tony Stewart's engine blew up. "Oh no! I blew my engine up (Tony Stewart voice with car)" "Oh! I am going to crash into Robbie Gordon! Hey guys, I'm gonna win 'cause I'm DaleEarnhardtJunior and my Dad is DaleSenior!"

DB: (in dinosaur voice) Roar! I am a veloceraptor and I am going to shred you to bits! ROOOAAARRR!!!! (stomps around room like a dinosaur. For an hour.) Roar! Here comes T. Rex and he is going to save the day! Go T. Rex, GOOOOO!!!!

BB: Ok, here they come around turn two and Dale Jr. is in the lead! But wait! Here comes Kyle Petty (very unlikely, btw) for the win! And it's the Petty Car! WOOHOO!!!

DB: And the dinosaurs crash into the track and eat everybody! Except for the plant eaters, they eat the plants! Roar! ROOOOAAAARRR!!! (stomps around the room for another hour.)

BB: Crash! Crash! CRASH! Now it's a demolition derby and everybody crashed! The cars are all blowing up! There's a fire! WOOHOO!

DB: ROOOOAAAARRR! The dinosaur is going to eat the other dinosaur!! ROOAORRR!!! (stomps around some more).

Yes. That is an almost word-for-word transcription of an actual play date with Dino Boy and Bug Boy. They have two completely different conversations and somehow understand what each other is saying. It is a SCREAM to watch, so if you need some comedy relief, feel free to observe one of their sleepovers or playdates!

*** sorry for the violent portrayal of the boys and their play, but they are a little preoccupied with crashing and eating right now!