Ok now after reading all of your responds I have tears in my eyes.
It was almost like we ran for the hills!!! There is no way, I could have taken care of that child for 30 minutes!!! My husband just thought, that she wasn't disciplining him enough. He and I both thought, that WE could straighten him up, in about 30 minutes, if he were ours.
Horrible, that's what my MIL keeps saying to us, just let her have him for a while and she'll straighten him up. I wouldn't let that happen for a nano second. I know you and your husband wouldn't abuse your grandchild but I have no such faith in my MIL after hearing all the terrible abuse stories from my husband of how she raised her boys which she proudly confirms. It's such hard work I know she wouldn't be able to cope and would revert back to her old terrible ways. I've stopped trying to make her understand that this is not a discipline problem. I'm glad you and your husband have a better understanding of your grandchild's condition.
My son David also has autistic tendencies and started to speak around the age of 4.He was obsessed with light and could stare into a lightsource for hours(of course we´d stop him) He would sit and just turn the wheels of his toy cars-on and on and on.He spoke his very fist words when he saw a train-he was so fascinated that he shouted: Train! Lights! After that he slowly started to say more and more.
It's funny what these children become obsessed with. At this moment Joshua is obsess with school buses. Everytime he sees one he yells Bus!! He draws buses everywhere, I have three pretty buses drawn in red ink on my bedsheets (he did that as my husband soundly slept in the same bed ). He also loves trains, the statue of liberty, maps of the usa, and his beloved two piece suit (I kid you not).
I love Joshua to pieces and I kiss him up more than I ever did my other children (they don't seem to mind in fact they're all very attached to Joshua too ) I want so much for him and I think he will be the hardest to let go.
Josie