This week is the last of the speech therapy training sessions for Little Nutter (not that he attends.)

At “Group” I have been learning all sorts of theories and techniques to enable communication with him. And it has been extremely productive.

But yesterday, the “Facilitators” gave us some new homework:

Practise choosing toys and books that prompt communication.

We have saved a few weeks worth of Little Nutter’s disability allowance for just this sort of thing, and so, after carefully studying the textbooks and making notes on Little Nutter’s current interests and abilities, we went looking for toys that would involve careful construction and then turn-taking.

In Toys R Us we found a great marble-run that needs assembling into a new track for every game. Excellent.

But then I saw her, across a crowded shop, just casually catching my eye before being hidden by a large group of people. It was a few minutes before I could glance that way again, and there was another man in the way, trying his luck.

I had to ditch the family, and get some time alone. “You keep looking here, dear, and I’ll go and ask at Information,” I lied. It worked. Darling Wifey was lumbered with all three children, and I had five minutes.

With a small shiver of guilt I doubled back after the first ailse, and headed straight for the display, and there she was. A thirty six inch long, petrol powered remote control hovercraft.

I had an almost uncontrollable urge to jump up and down on the spot.

Darling Wifey found out almost straight away, of course. I think she heard me begging the demonstrator for a go. And she doesn’t think that it fits the criteria we drew up for a toy for Little Nutter.

But I think it does.