Secret Skills

Over the course of the past month I have witnessed Katie completing multiple tasks she has never been taught. Every single time it happens I am equally astounded and thankful. There are many things my neurotypical kids have learned without me intentionally teaching them, but for Katie so much of this same material has been directly taught.

You can imagine my surprise the other day when I asked her to get Barkley out of his crate, and she did it! It was a new request from me that she had to decode, and the task required that she walk downstairs and open 2 doors before she even reached the dog. A few days later I casually asked her to put Barkley in his crate, a much more difficult task, and she was completely successful! Not only did she complete the task perfectly, but her sisters required multiple attempts when first learning this skill. She had not been taught how to do this and had rarely, if ever, seen anyone else do it!

A couple years ago locks were placed on exterior doors to my home as an extra precaution when Katie may have been attempting to "escape" during visitation with her father. For the record she has NEVER tried to elope in my care and is not prone to wandering. Since returning to my house I discovered these locks and have decided to leave them in place. We do not need them for their intended purpose, but I enjoy the extra security they provide from the outside.

The back sliding door lock requires a pull down and twisting motion to disengage. It has taken me a while to remember it's there and I often find myself sliding the door open only to have it slam into the stopper. During one of my household safety lessons I taught the two younger girls how to disengage the lock and escape from a potential fire. I intentionally did not teach Katie due to the fact that just prior to my lesson she had disappeared from her father's house while in his care again. (She was located at a neighborhood playground.) We never practiced while Katie was home, and the only person she has ever seen open the door is me.

Tonight I could not have been more proud as I walked into the kitchen ... the sound of a chair being slid across the floor to the door caught my attention, but it was the speed at which she climbed up on that chair and successfully disengaged that lock that surprised me most. Within seconds she had properly opened the door, and in her typical responsible manner she returned the chair to its original location at the table before exiting to the backyard.

Some might be terrified by this, but this secret skill of Katie's could very well save her life! She is actually the child most likely to successfully exit our home during an emergency evacuation. I know the ONLY place she is headed when that door opens is HER trampoline in our yard! I am so proud of her for learning a new skill through casual observation ... Praise God for secret skills and the way He is allowing Katie to reveal them to me.