Understanding the Passage of Time

I got Owen to eat lunch with us (me, Brooklynn and the neighbors) outside. The “outside” being the impressive part. Last summer I would convince him to go outside by allowing him to bring a magazine to read… (Only my 7 year old would need to bring a magazine to enjoy a beautiful day outside). That said, he sat with us and ate his bologna and cheese wrap with pretzel sticks. During lunch he got up, walked around the table to me and asked “How many days have I been alive?”

I know Owen, so I knew this required an answer, we took 7x365+185 (number of days since his last birthday) and came up with 2740 days (we did the math aloud so he knew where it was coming from). I asked him four hours later and he still knew the number. I have no idea if this means he will be tracking the days he’s been alive, or what… I hope it doesn’t become something he obsesses about.

I read recently about children with autism having a better understanding about the passage of time, I of course don’t know if it’s true, but when Owen asks me questions like this, it makes me wonder.