Curtis wrote "a non-fiction book on autism" as a project at the end of his second grade school year. Here's the full text.

pg 1
Hello, my name is Curtis and I know all about art, math, drawing roads, and autism. This non fiction book will be all about autism.

pg.2
I have a special doctor to help with autism. My doctor's name is Dr. Hubbard. Her office is in Portland! It's on the second floor.


pg.3
It's true I have a support team. Every kid with autism needs support. My support team is Jamie, Caron, Mom, and Dad!

pg.4
Most people with autism like to do the same things over and over again. I like to draw roads over and over again.

pg.5
Another fact about autism is that I can remember a lot of information. I remember Ms. Barber's photo copy ID and she doesn't. She says she wants my brain but she is not going to get it.

pg.6
Another fact about autism is I get better and better at things. Today I had a fire drill and I didn't need a head start like i did in kindergarden (sic) and first grade.

pg.7
Sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed I use an expression that my brain is fried. That means I need a break. My brain was fried after the NWEA test.

pg.8
The last fact about autism is that it makes me awesome because it makes me smart and unique!!!

Curtis

About the Author

My favorite number is 100. I like to get 500 nick cash and play my favorite game Monkeyquest. My other favorite thing to do is draw roads. My favorite color is red. I like going to the beach with my mom and I hate schoolwork and homework. The end.

"Is it okay if my knee touched my sandwich and then I ate it?
Is it okay if I touch my book then I touch my face?
Is it okay if I dropped a crumb on my shirt? An ant won't crawl up my shirt will he?
Is it okay if I touch the couch then touch my popcorn then I eat it?
Is it okay if my knuckle touched your food?
Is it okay if I got some salt on the computer?
Is it okay if I wipe this eye booger on you?
Is it okay if I dropped a pretzel on the couch?  Can I eat it?
Is it okay if I get pee on my hand and pull up my pants before I wash my hands?  I won't get it in my mouth, will I?
Is it okay if I ate and then I touched a wall?
Is it okay if this Cheez-It fell on the blanket and then I ate it?
Can I wipe my hands on my pants? I won't get grease on them will I?
This isn't poison is it? (10x a day minimum on this one)
Is it okay if I don't say thank you or hello? What will happen?"

These and similar questions....all day...every day these days and for quite a while now. Funny? Yes? Sometimes annoying when they've been coming at us rapid fire? You bet.

Mom & Dad

It would be way too much of a generalization to say that all individuals on the spectrum can't keep secrets. I came across a message board titled wrongplanet.net when researching the topic and there are people with ASD who can keep a secret just fine.
Of course, individuals on the spectrum tend to have a hard time with social norms and understanding the "rules" associated with keeping secrets is no different. Typically, they won't understand the social situations that surround keeping secrets. Whether its the autism or the combination of that and his young age, one thing is for sure, Curt can't keep a secret to save his life.
A few days ago, Curtis broke a small figurine of his mothers. It was an accident and he felt bad about it. Mom was exercising and I told him I was sure I could fix the two broken areas with super glue. The repair on the porcelain went fine, much smoother than Curt's ability to deal with his accident. He asked if I could keep it a secret and keep it between us. I told him he wouldn't get in trouble if he told his mom and that we had fixed it, but I was also curious if he could keep it a secret, since I'd never actually seen him keep one successfully before.
As the glued figure sat drying, Laura sat next to him with no knowledge of what he had done. As she asked a couple of unassociated questions, he broke down and hugged her, burying his head in her chest for a long time. SHe was obviously curious about his condition. He didn't spill his secret, but didn't exactly play it cool either. I told her what was going on and after a little time, Curt was relieved of the burden of his secret. It's typically excruciating for Curtis to try to carry any secret at all. This blog post from Autism Speaks does a good job of pointing out some of the difficulties I see in Curt when he attempts to keep a secret.

"Those with autism spectrum are concrete thinkers and exceptionally honest – if asked a question, they will respond with the truth, without taking the time to analyze and reflect what should be said and not said. Thus, secrets are hard for them to keep for any length of time."

This is certainly true for Curtis. Not that the broken figurine was a secret he had to keep. However, even though it was his idea to keep the secret, he simply couldn't handle it. As soon as his mom asked him something, he folded.

"those with ASD will usually tell it like it is – revealing to parents, siblings, their friends, acquaintances and perfect strangers things that shouldn’t be told. This can be either a positive or a negative; how others handle the completely honest statements made by the child with ASD will determine how much trouble will follow. If a very young child, most adults will laugh over the blunder; if an older adolescent or adult, grave consequences can result."

As many of Curt's qualities go, the lack of an ability to keep secrets is more endearing than anything else. He'll usually tell you what is in a wrapped present or reveal anything meant for a surprise.

"For the child with autism spectrum, this whole business of keeping secrets can be very confusing. Appropriate instruction on secret keeping is both difficult and delicate and should be tackled carefully by parents and teachers. Even after intensive instruction however, making this type of judgment requires split-second analysis of multiple factors, both concrete and humanistic. So don’t be surprised when the kid spills the beans."

Greg, Dad