For some reason, Luke was focusing on this one character and needing me to focus on the same thing.

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Of all the people with disabilities (and developmental disabilities in particular) I’ve worked with over the years, I’ve had the most difficulty finding a comfortable and/or successful way to interact with those who have autism. I’m sure that, intellectually… I know enough to get by, but for some reason my intuitive sense seems to have failed me. For this reason, I think I have been especially motivated to connect with Luke. The fact that he initiated our first interaction is an affirmation that I can do this. I can do better than I have in the past and perhaps even make a meaningful difference this time. One that can help.

I’m not the only Handi-Van driver Luke talks to and I doubt that I’m the only one he likes. But from the way he is so very obviously happy when he sees that I am his driver on any given day, I must be one of the few who talks with him in a way in which he is most comfortable.

During that first conversation about the movie Under Siege Two: Dark Territory, I apparently did well enough for Luke to continue to initiate conversations about more movies and eventually getting into more personal topics. His love of the Star Wars movies and the fact that I had enough authentic enthusiasm for, and detailed knowledge about them, made for several good and comfortable interactions.

We hit a bit of a bump in the road however, when he asked me if I’d like to be a “Brony” like him.

I had no idea what he was talking about but he soon explained that Bronies were “The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony.” 

He said it exactly like that too. “The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony” is actually a documentary film about the phenomena. I had never heard of it and also had no knowledge at all about the My Little Pony cartoons so, when Luke brought up Bronies, I was completely at a loss. Luke was a bit disappointed that I had never even heard about it but I think he let it pass since we now had a history of good conversations.

But, I knew that this new topic was going to take more than one conversation for me to work out how to respond most effectively. I could tell right away that I was not going to be able to fake any enthusiasm for the idea, but I didn’t want to just shut it down in a manner that might drive him back into disconnection. So as Luke went into a fast and extremely detailed description of the entire My Little Pony universe, I just listened. I repeated some of what he was saying to confirm that I was listening but I made no indication that I had any special interest in it and asked no probing questions about it.

Once I got home, I checked into it and then had a plan for the next time I would interact with Luke. Of course this part of the story will now again have to wait until the story can again be…

To be continued…