Functional MRI... cool brain mapping!

My kiddo started participating in the first of likely several studies at Stanford where they are trying to understand  more about the autistic brain.  The only cost to us it time and Cameron thoroughly enjoys earning money and being the center of attention, so it's a pretty easy choice.  I think his brain is pretty cool just the way it is :)

(There is no radiation and no contrast involved, he just looks at things and is still and they get to see the changes in blood flow in his brain.)  

Cute antics:

 • responding to a potential internet loss with another instance of his unusual vocabulary... he mentioned "It would hinder me!"

• walking into the office and informing us the limit on screen time after nine pm had been nullified. (Andrew turned to me and asked if we really wanted to teach him all this history :)  Cameron knows the word because of the South Carolina Nullification Crisis.)

• commenting, "Dads a computer engineer and you're a loafer." (OUCH!  I didn't respond to that immediately though and got his definition that a loafer meant "someone who didn't work for money".  I clarified the usual meaning of the term and he decided he wasn't a loafer and neither was I!)

• greeting a friend with a hard to pronounce name and being so pleased with himself he loudly told me, "At least I got his name right!" (The effort is endearing, but I'm hoping he'll have just a wee bit of social suavity… some day.)

• mirroring my cheery singing as I folded laundry and he played legos (Top of the World, Sunny Side of the Street,  Beautiful Morning… it was fun!)

• responding to my summary of his plan with, "Precisely. Once in a world of events my mom gets something right." (The tone on this one was a clear joke, but he does get body language mixed up sometimes and will smile when he's done something wrong or sees someone angry.  I think it's an embarrassment thing, but it doesn't look / feel like it at the time!  He'll get frustrated because he's adamant that he doesn't think he's smiling and he doesn't understand how he can be smiling unintentionally.  Obviously, smiling when he's damaged something or someone is saying they're angry / frustrated does not serve him well.)

• One that I posted to Facebook after he yet again "forgot" to cover his mouth when coughing:
My priceless child... the more I bite my tongue, the more his introspective skills seem to improve!
This is what I've been listening to since I've declined sharing my computer after the latest spray of germs. (The distress gradually decreased as I let him process.)

"I don't have any ideas.  I want you to give an idea and then I'll give my own. It's not my fault I coughed on your computer.  Well, it actually is but I forgot and I wasn't thinking about it.  Just give me an idea and then I'll try to think of my own.   Fine.  So, what should I do?  Maybe a reward so I'd have some encouragement?"
[Me] "You can reward yourself."
"Ya, that should be good, but I don't think I'll need it because I think I'll remember and stop.   I might need a reminder to think about it."
[Me] Mmm? Not a job that I'd like.
"No, I don't think I'll need a reminder.  On the whole, I think I'll manage to remember because I usually think about the consequence and don't care, but now I do care.  So, if I do care, I work on it and eventually achieve it.  Since I didn't care before, I didn't achieve it.  Since I'm going to start working on it, I'll achieve it in no time.

BONUS!  The researchers just sent these pictures!