Ty does not know a stranger.? That is a literal statement (and yes it can be dangerous).? He shows no prejudice.? He showers affection upon people without discrimination.? He would hug a stranger in the mall with the same sweet affection that he would give to me before bed.? (In fact he WAS hugging strangers in the mall when he was just barely walking).? This is another area where ?social appropriateness? doesn?t register for him.? We will have to teach him who and how and how much and when to give affection.

Here are two recent examples:

1. We were at a wedding.? Darin and Josh were talking to a friend that Jim and I had never met.? Ty walks up to the man and starts tickling his stomach for no apparent reason.? Ty thought it was oh so funny.? I can only imagine what the victim of the tickle attack was thinking.
2. Jim was outside recently and was approached by a neighbor that we do not know.? Ty approached the neighbor from behind and slapped him on the back and then bent over laughing.? Ty was only trying to say hello and did not perceive that as potentially hurtful or inappropriate in anyway.

On the topic of social appropriateness, Ty will often say exactly what he is thinking with no thought to whether or not it should be said.?? Further, he will not recognize the non verbal clues that he gets in an attempt to send him on a different course.

At the dentist recently, the dentist brushed his hand across the spikes on Ty?s head and said ?Ouch!? I think your spikes are going to make me bleed.?? Ty returned ?And your bald!?? Then he laughed and laughed.? Thankfully, the sweet dentist laughed as well.