In the last week or two, Thomas learned what knock knock jokes are. One Wednesday night at dinner, the kids sitting at the kids' table started telling knock knock jokes. As far as I know, this is really the first time that Thomas has ever really heard them. Well, we are now all about knock knock jokes. The only 'problem' with this newfound entertainment is that he really doesn't understand what a joke is all about. Here are some great examples of the MANY knock knock jokes that we have been hearing over the last week:
T: Knock Knock.
Us: Who's there?
T: (looking up and thinking) Light
Us: Light who?
T: (looking around some more) Light fan
(Belly laughter)
T: Knock knock.
Us: Who's there?
T: (again, looking around for something to name) Camera
Us: Camera who?
T: Camera table
Hahahahaa hahahaa hahaha.....
Can't you hear the laughter now?? We have told him a couple of jokes, of which the punch line has gone right over his head. But, since he understands that we are telling him real jokes, he tries to put some of those words in his jokes. Now, we sometimes get jokes like:
T: Knock Knock.
Us: Who's there?
T: Banana
Us: Banana who?
T: Banana moon!
T: Knock Knock
Us: Who's there?
T: Boo.
Us: Boo who?
T: Boo shoe!
He clearly enjoys the attention and the fact that people laugh at the end of the progression. It is a little reminiscent of the autistic boy that I taught. One of his learning goals was to be able to tell knock knock jokes. I taught him he lines and he would go to someone and tell them a joke when told to, but, he had no clue what he was really saying nor did he get the punch line of the joke. Obviously, Thomas understands the interaction that is taking place, but he's just not quite old enough to fully get what jokes are about. I am confident that he will get lots of practice telling jokes and once he really 'gets it,' there will be no stopping him!
