A Boy Who is Doing His Best
This beautiful boy is nonverbal.
He has severe autism and a handful of other diagnoses as well.
He jumps, flaps and twirls when he’s excited. He lays down on the floor and rolls when he’s upset. He lives for dinosaurs, jumping on the trampoline, baseball and popsicles.
He knows exactly what he wants and when he wants it. He just doesn’t always have the tools to express his wants and needs.
Zeke hears and understands every single thing that is said to him and about him.
He understands when his teachers and therapist tell me what an excellent job he has done during school or a therapy session. He beams with pride as they announce his newest accomplishments.
His grin is priceless!
He also understands when people talk negatively about him.
As much as we try to shield him from the looks and stares during a meltdown, he sees them.
Zeke is simply a little boy who is doing his best.
Sometimes the world is overwhelming and he needs to work through that. This involves laying down, sometimes screaming and flailing. He will work through it. However, please offer kindness and understanding to him.
It will help him work through his meltdown much quicker.
Recently Zeke has been using his device to let everyone know that he wants a pool party with water balloons and a fort.
I promised him that on Friday, we would have a camp out on his trampoline. We would fill up his little pool and have a water balloon fight. Our water balloon fights are simply throwing balloons at the ground and squealing with excitement as they burst.
It’s the best time!
He reminds me everyday that we need to have our pool party, play with water balloons and build our fort. He completely comprehends it and is so excited.
If you see someone like my Zeke in the community, offer them a simple smile or hello. If they’re having a tough time, give them some space and not draw even more attention to them. This person knows and understands what you are doing and saying.
Show kindness to them and the others around you. I promise it makes a world of difference to them.
Written by, Jessica Ingle
Jessica is a wife, mom, nanny and a writer. She loves to blog in her spare time. She and her family live in north Georgia on their small farm. You can read more of her writing and follow her family’s journey at Z and Me.
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