I love to read to my class. As a teacher, I know that literature helps all students learn. But for those with special needs, there is a spark that comes when they connect to a character in a book, when connecting with peers or family members is not always easy.

One of the storytellers in my room is Robert Munsch, the author of Love You Forever. Oh, he’s written quite a bit more than that, and each book gets a fair amount of class time, but Love You Forever is definitely at the top of our “best book” list.

So each day, we find ourselves plopped down on the reading rug or outside under a tree reading a stack of books, and Love You Forever is always included.

We laugh at the boy’s antics throughout his growth stages, and scream with the annoyed mother. But despite the mother’s frustration at her son’s misbehavior, she always finds the time to rock him and sing of her unconditional love for him.

Most students in my class seem to enjoy the story on some level. One girl, Lottie, is a small fourth grader with Down syndrome. She scrambles into my lap as we read and sing along with the mother’s love song. Charlie, who has Cerebral Palsy, is in fifth grade and is too “grown up” to participate physically, but still enjoys the connection he has with the book. The others take part in various ways, but sadly, one student seems to have no connection at all.

This student is Sameer. His eyes gaze into the lights or off into the sky as this story and others are read day after day. He clasps his hands in front of his eyes and squeezes vigorously and repeatedly from his elbows, staring at the movement he creates. Rocking back and forth, he hums at a pitch that would get any dog’s attention. He’s quite busy, however, his mind is distant; I am not sure about the connections he makes with the world around him. I wonder if he is even listening or understanding at all.

Sameer has Autism.