Ben Bragg Loc: Dayton Ohio

Ok. We beat the subject of my granddaughter getting her nose pierced pretty hood and heard a lot on boat sides of the fence. I learned something thru that dialog. Gotta process it

My oldest grandson suffers autism. High functioning . He’s a big kid for his age. He’s 12 and towers over his classmates and has the bulk to back it up.
Gentle giant. Not a mean bone in his body.
Parts of him are astoundingly brilliant , other parts of him he don’t realize he soiled himself.
Complex kid.
On his brilliant side . Since a very young age. If you ever asked about a dinosaur or a particular shark species, you better be ready for a half hour dissertation of every scientific detail of that topic. Amazing. But you might have to clap your hands to get his attention to ask your question.
That kinda deal.
Past few years he’s been sketching among other things cruise ship designs and human habitation modules for mars.
Far as I know, he’s never been on a cruise ship and I know he’s never been in NASAs top secret design facilities
He routinely texts sketches to papaw for a look see
I’ve been an engineer for 35 years .
Gotta tell ya. I sometimes have to take a second and sometimes third look to make sure I’m seeing what I’m seeing.
Not only are the concepts innovative, they are absolutely manufacturable!
I just bought him a portable drafting table and starter drafting tools.
He will cherish these. I kept my first for 25 years till TSA confiscated them

I’m hoping that in a few years I can proudly say “ that’s my grandsons invention” I can get free beers for life in bars just for telling the story.
Best investment I ever made!!!

We all love our kids and grandkids. With Jack it goes beyond that. He needs special kind of love I guess.
Every time I think I have this figured out it gets more

OJdidit Loc: Oak Creek Wisconsin

Great story Ben, I believe he has a great future! Good luck with that free beer, too!

DC Loc: Washington state

be i understand what you are saying i have 2 grandkids that have a very rare brain disorder that can affect any or every organ in their body as well as other brain functions. I have been amazed at the level of spirital discernment they have and special insight they have. I am convinced that often those God gives spicial challenges to He also gives extra grace and abilities and insights in other areas. It is a real shame that most of the world only sees persons didability and doesnt spend time to see their special ability or insights and thereby miss out on the blessing they have to offer.

Ben Bragg Loc: Dayton Ohio

You are right about folk with disabilities.
Had a neighbor kid. Well he was a 30 year old man with downs.
This guy thought I was Emeril Legassi or something.
He’d meet me in the driveway after work wanting to know what I was cooking for dinner!!
Dude loved fish! But he swore he would only eat orange roughy.
Voila , here’s a batch of Caesar Creek Ohio orange roughy!!!
I swear he wouldn’t come up for air every time I took him a plate of fried crappie and fries.
And he thought my wife was like Betty Grabel or something. Crushed hard on her. Always told me he was gonna steal her from me.
I told him , dude , you can’t afford that!!
He never failed to make me smile!
He used to love to sing, I’d hear him at 1:00 am. Belting Metallica in exactly one tone!

They moved away.
He calls me every now and then asking for meatloaf or country fried steak in that voice ya really gotta be paying attention to understand what the heck he’s saying.
Then his mom busts him pestering me and gets on the phone apologizing.
Told her bean soup and cornbread and collard greens be ready in an hour!
She brought him over for dinner.


Yea miss this dude!!

CamT Loc: La Porte, Texas

Ben you kinda exactly described my granddaughter that's living with us, she's 13 and is high end autistic, very sweet, tall as me and will give you a very detailed answer on things she knows. She loves arts and crafts and electronics. It takes constant attention to be there for them, like you said simple everyday things get left behind

Ben Bragg Loc: Dayton Ohio

I’m trying to point this kid in right direction.
Hopefully someday find a career that employer appreciates talent and overlooks the fact that he’s wearing his shirt backward.
One thing for certain in a world that don’t make a lot of sense to him.
His papaw is a phone call away.
He sometimes pushes back on advise.
I gotta get his attention, get him to focus and listen to exactly what he’s trying to get at.
Then. Baby step start steering.
His daddy can’t deal with it too good.
He’s a wreck from 2 wars
His mommy wants to shelter him.
I’m trying to prepare him for a world where everyone ain’t as cool as papaw and mommy.
Some times people are cruel.
I bust his chops from time to time to get him thinking . If I do something stupid. I’m gonna get bit.
Gentle process.
Call him numb nuts or say you can do a whole lot better than that.
Made him wash my truck 3 times one day. Pointing out all the spots he missed.
He didn’t like that at all.
Next time , well , there really wasn’t a next time.
Washing trucks isn’t his strong suit.

Ken Bauer Loc: Sherwood Ohio

Ben Keep encouraging him to do and try everything he wants. There is a lady by the name of Temple Grandlin she is an expert in cattle. She is autistic but has a Doctorate in Animal husbandry. She developed methods of handling cattle to keep them calm during the process before slaughter.

If your interested there is a movie about her earlier life called the way I see it . I watched with my wife years ago when she started working with autistic children.

A couple years ago my sister in law actually had dinner with her. Said she was super intelligent about cattle and processing them. But not filtered in social situations. Keep him going because the sky is the limit these days.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

What a very special blessing for you and your family Ben. A perfect example of how truly special and unique we all are.

Papa Jack Loc: Indianapolis

Great story. My daughter is a special education teacher and has been a nanny for a family that had an autistic son. She has shared many stories with us about this young man. She has even brought him to our house for a visit. He to is brilliant just hard to focus.

kandydisbar Loc: West Orange, NJ

Stick beside him and who knows? Sounds like greatness in the future!

Barnacles Loc: Northern California

While I was a firefighter, I often had to conduct tours of the station for groups of schoolkids. The 'normal' kids were a total handful. (This is where I gripe about them for about two paragraphs.) I was humbled one day when a teacher brought a group of downs syndrome kids for a tour. They were quiet, attentive, respectful and polite.

The normal kids were a hassle, the 'special' kids were a treat to have around.

RuffplayOR57 Loc: Klamath Falls, OR

Awesome story Ben, sounds like you might have another architect in the family. I have an autistic nephew, great kid. Kid I say, he’s 30 now. Loves like no other, but can’t grasp the concept of $$. So will live with his mom the rest of his life I believe. But I don’t want to play a video game with him, as I would be toast. I’d love to see a pic or 2 of his plans for housing on Mars 😁 sounds like he’s planning ahead.

Ben Bragg Loc: Dayton Ohio