What's In A Name?

Three years ago we put Adam in a Mad Science Camp. He loves science. He need Help with his social skills. So, I thought, putting him in a camp where he had a huge interest in the topic might help him converse easier with the other kids. He went for 2 weeks. He loved it. He talked about the science experiments. He talked about the science topics. He never talked about the other kids. Unless it was because he escorted them to the bathroom or to get a drink of water. (The counselors allowed him this special privilege because he was also known as the 'Police Officer' and 'Mini-Bill Gates' - who better a kid to make sure they got back?)

On the last day of camp we said goodbye to the counselors and the other kids. Most of them all said, "Bye Adam." He just said, "Bye."

When we got to the car he asked me how they all knew his name. He was truly surprised that they had known it. I said, "Adam, you just spent 2 weeks with them. Don't you know their names?" He looked confused. "Why would I? I was there to do science."

The past 2 years he has made tremendous progress. We decided to give camp another try this summer. This time we enrolled him in TechAdventure Camp. Another topic of interest, hoping it would be easier to converse with the other kids, and that with the improved social skills he WOULD converse with the other kids.

I picked him up yesterday - the first day of camp.

"So, how was it?" I asked.

"We all got pedometers. And in photo shop they took pictures of us and we played around with them with some picture program. And during break I made a new friend. His name is Aiden. And he's in the same grade as me. And he's going to the same middle school as me in 2 years!" he said with a smile.

Today they shot elastics at each other during lunch. And he met a couple more kids.

What's in a name? So much.