This is a picture of Gracie sitting with other kids at vacation bible school tonight. We went with Norma, one of her therapists and I tagged along in case there were behaviors. It turns out she didn't even know I was there!!
She did so well!!! We were prepared to stay to the side and let her go in gradually, but she just went right in and sat with the rest of the kids! She transitioned from classroom to crafts to snack almost seamlessly! There was only one little speed bump which Norma expertly guided her through and avoided any outbursts.
It was interesting to sit and watch her with the other kids. There were times when she behaved much better than a few of the other kids. As a parent of a child on the Autism Spectrum, you attend any social outings with the knowledge that your child is going to behave different from the others. But, as an observer, my child blended in with the rest. Most of the kids there had their own quirks. One boy did not stop talking. Another boy decided he could do whatever he wanted during craft because his mom wasn't around. Another boy went to the front of the class and stood in front of the aide who was reading to the class so no one else could see.
Gracie had her stickers and her same markers and crayon colors that she has to have but she was very controlled for the most part.
THEN there was Little Gym. We just had our SECOND session there this past Friday. She decided that it looked like fun and went and joined in.This time she went in right at the beginning and stayed till the end! The best part was at start when all the kids ran around the room. I wanted to get a picture of her but I was too busy enjoying the smile on her face. To see her just being a kid, with other kids, made my heart fill up!
To see her enjoying herself just felt like pure joy.
Ok. There are days that are more challenging than others. But to get to see that smile and hear that laugh is worth all the rough spots that we have to go through.
We are all so proud of her. Her therapists are just thrilled with her interactions with other kids. They are so supportive of not just her, but all of us, as a family. I think we are in for a fun ride!
No comments:
Post a Comment