Unlocking the Key to...the Key

It's been an interesting few days spending time with my brother in law.

Yesterday husband and I both took the day off work and spent time with my brother in law.  We took him out to eat (one of his favorite activities) and then took him to Wal-Mart, our local enclosed mall, and the Christmas Tree Shop.

When we picked my brother in law up at my other brother in law's house, the house was locked as he and his wife were both at work.  They gave Bil a key.  Their lock is such that you have to lock it from the outside (you can't turn something and have it lock when you close the door).  Bil had a great deal of difficulty manipulating the key; my husband had to walk him through the steps of locking a door.

I have a feeling that was the first time Bil has ever used a key.  But maybe not, maybe the difficulty was this was a new door, a new key, to him.  (I think, though, that my first theory is correct.)

When we returned him "home", same process, Bil had to be shown all over again how to unlock the door.

My sister in law has been using this visit to teach Bil other life skills and I can only hope he remembers them.

I wonder if brother in law can use the skills in another context.  For example, they have a caller ID that displays on the television.  They taught Bil and so when my husband called to let Bil know he was coming, Bil answered the phone.  But would he recognize the caller ID in another context?  That would be an interesting question.