33. alvin

Alvin is a boy who can't talk or walk but he wants to. The longer he is with us, the better we understand him. At first it was only 'njum', which means drinking. And he says that very often. What can that boy drink!

Now we understand more. We are now trying to teach him to indicate when he needs to urinate. He already tries to communicate that he wants to be put on the toilet. But unfortunately, we ask often too late and have to change a diaper (and shower Alvin.) 

Alvin is ‘heavy-handed’ in love. Because he is spastic, he sometimes hits a classmate or someone from the staff rather hard. Usually I'm the one, because he crawls until he can pull himself up on my legs, which he then squeezes hard to get a grip.

The pleasure, he has when he reaches me! 

He really wants to walk and for that he uses my chair. But now we've given him a walker. He cannot operate the walker, but when he leans on the seat he gets very far. Usually until he corners himself. Steering is not yet his forte! 

We forbid him to enter the circle with the walker. He goes recklessly over the children who are playing on the ground. Not consciously of course, but painful for those children!