Brenden Williams gets impulsive and throws his hat while in his weekly playgroup at the Parent Connection.

Beemer scales the shiny yellow ladder and balances steadily on top, his eyes flashing with glee.
He pauses a moment to make sure his mom is watching. Then he takes a deep breath and hurls his body to the padded floor.
He's up again in an instant and dashes off to attempt the heroic feat again.
It's playtime. Every week, Beemer and his mom attend a play group for children with special needs at the Parent Connection.
Earlier that afternoon, a dozen moms sat with their children, singing songs. Beemer didn't want to sit. He wanted to climb and jump.
Now he's trying on hats in the dress-up corner. First a sapphire-colored straw number, then a floppy pink one. Soon all the hats and scarves and vests are heaped on the floor, and Beemer is off to play with the trucks.
Williams follows the child around, keeping an eye out for potential weapons.
A year ago, trips to the Parent Connection were brief. Beemer would hang on his mother's leg, overwhelmed by noise and color and sound.
"When he gets overloaded, he turns into a screaming, hysterical mess," Williams said. "But we can at least stay and play a little now."