We talk About Autism.

Jeanne “doesn’t know how to play barbies,” with her cousins and she’s not interested in typical toys. Hoo boy, Jeanne can fish.

Jeanne lights up. Her full-body smile glows when she’s in the thick of it.

Jeanne can stand on the dock or on the banks of Carson and Irvine Park for hours. Direct sun? No problem.

This is something to see from a girl who can have a conversation while bunny-hopping across the room to tightrope walk across the fireplace base and bounce across the couch.

With cousins on the weekend or Axel during the week, Jeanne can have natural conversation and joy in the cast or hooking a bluegill. She encourages, takes turns casting, helps pull in fish, and celebrates everyone’s catches.

Fishing is a solitary and group activity. Jeanne can control her own pole shoulder to shoulder with buddies. Fishing offers choices and decision making that Jeanne can handle with minimal guidance.

All the practice and growth in patience, turn taking, and safety have paid off, on full display in her natural state.

Fishing dovetails with variable rewards systems (somedays the fish fly into her lap and other days the fish are on vacation) and keeps us all wanting one last cast before we go. All this to say fishing fascinates Jeanne and puts all the social and safety skills to use.

I can see her smile for miles and feel the joy through the rest of the day. Hopefully the fish bite next summer.