A friend!

I think before school let out, the kids had a "safety day" at school because all of a sudden my son, who is autistic, who takes things to literal that is said, he began to carry a pile of magazines called "the friend", a subscription for youth, from my faith, everywhere he goes...literally! I started wondering why he was doing this so I asked him, and he replied, "i need to have a friend with me everywhere I go"...that sounds like the buddy system to me, but since he has no concept of what a friend is, probably didn't understand what they meant, his brain started to try to make since out of it, ironically, he noticed "the friend" magazine that comes in the mail, and must of thought they meant THAT....**laughing....it's not a bad thing for him to read these spiritual little magazines...it's like scripture, so in a way, that rule he just learned could apply to him...he can get in the habit of reading scriptures.....he doesn't really have any friends, people in his life, buddies or playmates, and due to the nature of his disorder, it isn't likely to happen anytime soon....so since I don't want to bring that to his attention, the area he is lacking in...socially and all....I thought for the time being it is kinda cute.....although, I told him one magazine (not the whole pile) is quite enough....if he wants to look at one at a time. Sigh! I think it is neat that my son wants to follow rules, especially safety ones, and he desires to do good, to be obedient....so I think for the time being I will let him think this rule he heard applied to having the scriptures with him at all times...it does have good spiritual implications....why not teach him that it is important to keep the word of God, close to hand. It will keep him safe...or that is what I believe...and later I can explain that Jesus is his most trusted friend. ( www.lds.org has magazine subscriptions of all ages)

Heidi