He's smart.
Earlier in November, the teacher showed the students a picture of a rake and asked if anyone knew the name of the tool that is used to gather leaves or move leaves. (I don't remember the exact wording, but this was pretty close.)
Isaac said, "Sweeper." He said it so softly that I don't believe he was heard. Then another student said something funny, and I don't think Isaac ever repeated himself. And typically he wouldn't repeat himself unless someone asked him to say a word again.
Isaac can identify a rake, so I was surprised he didn't say rake. I admit, I wondered what he was thinking.
The next day when the teacher showed the same rake picture (which Isaac ignored, more or less) and asked the students the same question, Isaac didn't say anything. Instead, he jumped up and opened our garage door, which was directly behind him through the kitchen window. I think he thought the teacher would be able to see it.
"I'm sorry, I can't see what you want me to see, Isaac," the teacher said.
"He opened the garage door so you could see the rake," I explained. "It's hanging up in our garage."
But that really wasn't true, I realized later. A wide broom hangs in our garage. A rake is on the other side of the garage, propped up against the wall. There's no way anyone could have seen the rake from that angle.
When Isaac and I were in the garage later that day, I pointed out the rake and said, "The rake is over there. That's what your teacher was talking about the other day."
"Yes," Isaac said. I'm sure he was annoyed even if he didn't sound like it.
It wasn't until much later that I realized what had happened.
The teacher asked, "What tool do we use to gather leaves or move leaves?" Isaac didn't care about the picture of the rake. He just listened to the question and thought about his own experience.
I took this picture and sent it to the teacher along with this email.
The teacher, whom we love, responded. He's been teaching Isaac for a few years and knows him well.
"Ha ha. That is awesome. Yet another situation where Isaac answers a question in a way that causes me to question other possible ways to think of the question.
I have really been enjoying getting a glimpse at another mode Isaac uses for communication. At school we don't see him going to grab things to show us his answer often, so it has been really cool watching him use his resources to answer questions."
I guess Isaac was right. A sweeper is used to move leaves --- when trying to keep the garage clean.