I just have to share this.
Jonathan is now 6. He was diagnosed with Autism at 4. He’s been getting treatment (therapy and special schooling) since he was 3 ½. I know he is very smart and picks up on a lot that we don’t realize, but at the same time, I don’t know how much “common sense” he has, because he doesn’t understand the concept of danger or why he’s not supposed to go out of the house without telling us, why he needs to use the potty, etc.
Anyhow, that being said, I don’t know how much he really understands or listens to when we take him to church. His teachers at our new church (since we moved) have really been good at working with him and have actually got him to say memory verses, do activities and sit for stories. But I really didn’t know how much he understood of the concept of God.
A couple of weeks ago, we went out to dinner (just me and him and Sammy—DH was working late preparing to go on vacation) and while we were waiting for our food, I was drawing pictures with him. He’d tell me what to draw, and I’d draw it, and he’d laugh. Well, he said “Draw God”. Ummm…..
I told him I didn’t know what God looked like. I asked him what he thought God looked like. He pointed to his chest and said “That’s God. In there.” I said, “What?” He said, “There” I asked him where, and he said, “Heart”.
After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I almost started crying. I really didn’t know if he’d ever understand the concept of God or really respond to what was going on around him at church.
I thought that maybe it was just a fluke, so when DH got home that night, I asked him “Where’s God?”, and he said the same thing. DH just kind of looked at me and Jonathan bounced off into the other room. I asked DH “Do you think he really gets it?” He said, “You know, I think he just might understand.”
Is he at the point where he understands everything and shares every belief that we have? No, of course not. It’s his decision to make. But he’s starting to show interest and understand a little bit, and to someone who wasn’t sure if their child would ever lead a completely normal life, it was really a blessing.
Jonathan is now 6. He was diagnosed with Autism at 4. He’s been getting treatment (therapy and special schooling) since he was 3 ½. I know he is very smart and picks up on a lot that we don’t realize, but at the same time, I don’t know how much “common sense” he has, because he doesn’t understand the concept of danger or why he’s not supposed to go out of the house without telling us, why he needs to use the potty, etc.
Anyhow, that being said, I don’t know how much he really understands or listens to when we take him to church. His teachers at our new church (since we moved) have really been good at working with him and have actually got him to say memory verses, do activities and sit for stories. But I really didn’t know how much he understood of the concept of God.
A couple of weeks ago, we went out to dinner (just me and him and Sammy—DH was working late preparing to go on vacation) and while we were waiting for our food, I was drawing pictures with him. He’d tell me what to draw, and I’d draw it, and he’d laugh. Well, he said “Draw God”. Ummm…..
I told him I didn’t know what God looked like. I asked him what he thought God looked like. He pointed to his chest and said “That’s God. In there.” I said, “What?” He said, “There” I asked him where, and he said, “Heart”.After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I almost started crying. I really didn’t know if he’d ever understand the concept of God or really respond to what was going on around him at church.
I thought that maybe it was just a fluke, so when DH got home that night, I asked him “Where’s God?”, and he said the same thing. DH just kind of looked at me and Jonathan bounced off into the other room. I asked DH “Do you think he really gets it?” He said, “You know, I think he just might understand.”
Is he at the point where he understands everything and shares every belief that we have? No, of course not. It’s his decision to make. But he’s starting to show interest and understand a little bit, and to someone who wasn’t sure if their child would ever lead a completely normal life, it was really a blessing.
I'm sure that makes you and your hubby very proud of him! 
