Yeah that's pretty weird.

"You can sit," he says, pulling out a chair and gesturing towards it invitingly.

"Um -" She pulls a lock of pink hair.

John looks confused! 

"Your...hair?" he says.

...shrug?

Also shrug!  He wonders if she has a dom with rules about furniture.  Well, it's her decision.

"Do you want me to take the baby?" he says.  He mimes cradling the baby, then holds out his arms.  "So you can write down words?"

...she takes a step back, touches her hair again.

"Hmm."  He frowns.  "Afraid is--" he makes a scared face.  "Touching is--" he touches the table.  "Are you afraid of touching?"

..."No."

"Sick is--" he mimes coughing.  "Are you scared touching will make you sick?"

...wobbly gesture.

"So I'm close," he says.  "Scared touching will make the baby sick?  Scared touching will make me sick?"

Wobble, wobblier.

"Closer to 'the baby will get sick' or 'I will get sick'?"

"...closeh to you." She can't make an "r" sound.

He smiles at her encouragingly.

"You're worried if you touch something, you'll do something bad to me that's like being sick?" he tries. 

Wobble, nod.

"What can I do to let you sit down and stop the bad thing?"

...she pulls her hair again.

"If we change something about your hair, will that fix the bad thing?"

She doesn't seem to understand the question.

"What's bad about your hair?" he tries.

She says something else in her language.

He slaps the table, frustrated.  "Be more clear."

She jumps and makes a squeaking noise.

John is, um.  A fan of that reaction.

He tries pointing forcefully at the chair.  "Sit."