Birthday gift for my brother, help !

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I kind of want to say thank you to my brother, so I wanted to give him something a little more meaningful than usual. But that turns out to be really difficult. I have been diagnosed with Aspergers, my brother - well he does not have any kind of diagnosis because he never wanted any kind of label, but he is a very special person too.

He is the absent minded professor kind of person, he would forget to eat and sleep when working ( he is a self employed computer programmer) most of the time he doesn't answer when you talk to him or only hours later, most of the things he doesn't say out loud and you have to fill in the gaps when talking to him, he however thinks it makes sense what he says, well you get used to it with time.

I don't get his taste in music or books right, and he does not try new things. Like I couldn't get him a different brand of shaving cream, or he would never ever wear a sweater. He only wears plaid button down cotton shirts - which is what i usually get him So normal things are out.

I probably should do something for him instead of looking for some material gift, like taking him to a place he likes - but he doesn't like surprises or doing things he hasn't planned himself. Or I could get him something he might not use but has a meaning? I don't know, making a donation in his name?

Any ideas?

That sounds like me but I don't know his interests. I am not sure there isn't much help. Although I am thinking wrapping paper might be a problem if he does not like suprises because then he is more likely to be disappointed.

If he doesn't like surprises and it does not go against a tradition that I do not know about, you could just ask him what he wants.

Well I ment no suprises in the sense that I couldn't take him spontaneously to a concert or something if it wasn't his own idea and he had some time to get used to it? It might work if it is really something he likes and I tell him like a week before. But it could also be his favorite band and he would still not go because it is the wrong timing or something.

Hmm I might need something with flexible dates where he can choose..

When I asked him what he wants the answer was he doesn't care but it has to be a suprise because the important thing about gifts is that you don't know what you get beforehand. So yeah that is a bit contradictory to what I just said. I guess he would be happy with whatever I gave him (like the thought counts?), I just want it to be something he actually uses.

Make him something that he can put on his computer desk, like a picture frame for a memory you shared. I've never done anything like that for anyone, but I guess it's still an idea. If you have some money to spend then you could instead buy him an accessory for his computer that you know won't be a hard thing for him to find use for if it wasn't in his mind prior to him being gifted it, better headphones or bigger speakers for example.

Flannel pajamas.
Even if he may not like the color, if they fit comfortably and are warm, he will enjoy them.
Or flannel sheets...same reasoning.

Sylkat

Are you any good at computers? If so you could make a little montage DVD of your old home videos from childhood.

Or you could bake his birthday cake.