We have two boys. Our first son, Caleb, is gorgeous with pale skin, dark hair, and blue eyes while our second son, Toby, is a handsome dusty blond guy with amber colored eyes. Caleb is what most people consider "high functioning" and is going into Jr. High in a general education classroom, and Toby is going to be attending kindergarten in a special autism classroom for those with moderate to severe autism. They will never go to school together, more due to their age gap than their autism, but they learn together at home every day.
Words flow from my oldest son's mouth like water from Niagara Falls, and for my youngest, they have to be coaxed and drawn out like collecting dew on a desert morning. As their mom, I can tell you that both experiences are awe inspiring.
They are the perfect pair. Despite their age differences, they enjoy watching animal documentaries and Blues Clues with each other. When my youngest speaks a phrase that perplexes us, my oldest knows exactly what he is referring to. Caleb is so proud of every new thing that his baby brother learns, and Toby worships the ground his big brother walks on. And while sometimes there will be crying when Caleb wrestles too roughly with his little brother, or when Toby sometimes ruins his older brother's things, they have a deep love and understanding towards one another.
They are both perfect contrasts and mirrors of each other and, as brothers tend to be, even though they are on different paths in life, they are still traveling together.
Sanger, CA
