Just a moment. What's happening here? The boy with autism has gone in for the kill...er...kiss.
M was relaxing quietly (for a change) on the couch when, out of nowhere, C attacked him with a spontaneous shower of affection, much to M's delight.
I don't think this comes naturally to C, but every day we try to show him how pleasurable it can be to seek and receive affection from others. I guess our attempts are paying off, because he's turning into quite a little kissing bandit.
And, it substantiates something I've been coming to understand from reading the words of older children and adults with autism: it's not that people on the spectrum don't crave the giving and receiving of affection; it's that they don't always know how to go about it.
Let the lessons continue!