End of School Year Chaos

Just when you think the going is good, take away all forms of routine and see how your child cooperates.

The end of the school year is suppose to be a time of fun and excitement for most kids.  For a child with autism, it's hell.  All of the routines that made them feel safe and successful are taken away for fun things like field day, concerts, BBQs, parties, and award assemblies.

Yesterday I went to Brian's classroom's party.  He was not having it.  He did participate in making his own snack- cutting up strawberries and well that was it since he didn't want any bananas or blueberries and he couldn't have the yogurt.

Then you were suppose to move around the stations with your parents and make fun crafts.  Brian instantly tried to isolate himself at the sand table.

Watching the wheels turn as the sand sifted down was so much more calming and soothing than the twenty extra bodies in the room and all the noise.

His wonderful one-on-one got him to participate in two of the crafts, but it's evident by the thumb that he's still in major need of self-soothing.

Finally, I told him we could go for a walk.  Finally, meaning I think we lasted seven minutes in to the party.  As soon as we were out of that atmosphere he was smiling and not crying.  Things like that are still really hard for him.  Generally I don't try to let him get out of things...but I didn't feel it was an academic thing- it was suppose to be a fun thing.  And if he wasn't having fun, what was the point?  

Luckily we ran into our special ed teacher as well as some other kids having a movement break in the multi-purpose room.  He jumped right in...it was much more conducive to his idea of a party.

Him not wanting to have a real part of parties and things that aren't a normal part of his routine doesn't bother me.  There are some things that I feel we need to adapt to him and there are other things that he needs to adapt to.  It's not something I'm gonna push at this point.