Hai sa mergem afara!

= Let's Go Outside!

So, these photos were posted by Kinsey a long time ago on Facebook, but I thought I'd share them with you. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Kinsey and I hop on the tram at 8:40 to go to an apartment on the edge of Iasi in an area called Dancu where there are 3 orphans we get to work with. We're there from 9am-12pm, but there is always a worker there to take care of them. When it's nice outside, we get to take the kids to the park. This is from a day one of the kids stayed back with the worker, so we got to take some photos.

This is me walking with Ghiorcel. Ghiorcel is Autistic and has bowed legs. He is a big part of my research here. Just so everyone knows, I am researching reinforcement techniques and approaches to use with children with autism. There's more to it than that, but mostly I just keep track of the reinforcement preferences of the children I've selected to work with.

This is Claudia. She is one of the prettiest little girls I've ever seen. And I think she knows how cute she is, and she uses her cuteness to get all the attention she can get. But we don't mind giving it. She's great.

I have to admit, I really love Ghiorcel. When i'm with him I feel like "I could have come all the way out here just to work with him and it would have been worth it." 2 months ago, he only made a few noises. But now he's forming one and 2 syllable words. It's probably all just part of his typical development, but it's still exciting to get to be here for that.

The workers call Ghiorcel "Bobo" as a nickname. I've really felt a connection with Bobo, and, after thinking about it, I realize we're not all that different. Some things I see in Bobo that I see in myself:

• Brown hair, brown eyed man.
• Loves music and singing.
• Is very sensory driven and loves to touch things with his hands.
• He has an intense stare and can sit and study and look at something for long periods of time.
• He gets frustrated when he can't communicate his needs or how he's feeling.
• He gets fussy when he doesn't get his way.
• He's impatient when he doesn't get what he wants right away.
• Sometimes he just needs to be left alone and he'll feel better.
• He loves to laugh and smile.
• He's ticklish.
  
• He loves to explore new places and new things.
• He loves to be held and loved.

I really love Bobo. I didn't know I could have so much in common with a 33 month old Romanian orphan with autism and bowed legs.