Oh my goodness! I did it again!

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One of the kids at the preschool has been tentatively diagnosed with Autism. You remember Jackie, my non-Autistic friend who DOES have language delays. In this (the more recent) case, I agree with the diagnosis, even if he's only 2 1/2. He does not speak, does not engage with other kids, and does not make eye-contact. But he does love his plastic doggie, and likes to drive small plastic trucks around. Today, I was "shadowing" this little boy before and at lunch. The other teachers say he cannot wash his hands. But I got him to wash his hands by washing my hands (in the kid bathroom) and integrating HIS hands into the washing. He seemed to enjoy the activity. Then I got him into his classroom and sat next to him while he "ate." As usual, he threw his lunch on the floor. But I did something different from what his teachers usually do. I did not get "mad at him." I said, " You're throwing things over your shoulder, as you often do. I'll put your comida in the basura, but you owe me one." Most importantly, I remained calm. When I was charged with taking him outside, so his mom could pick him up, he stopped to play with some plastic trucks by the door. Rather than drag him outside (he sometimes goes "boneless"), I said. "You like trucks. So I will let you play with those trucks for a minute, and then we have to go outside." It worked. He did not go boneless when I held his hand and took him outside. I said, "Let's find our outside trucks, so you can keep playing with trucks." We found his outside trucks and played with them together. I said "Vroom vroom. I like trucks too." For just a moment, maybe 2.5 seconds, he made eye-contact with me. He tried to say "truck." I have never heard him utter a word before. Then he suddenly toddled over to the slide area, climbed the structure and went down the the slide, with a smile on his face. I have never seen hjm go down the slide before. When his mom came, he ran over to her with a smile on his face, and jumped into her arms. She was delighted and said, "He's never done that before!" Could I, by trying to enter this child's world, rather than demanding he comply with my "demands," be helping him how to learn to communicate with other humans? We'll see what happens tomorrow.