Five Days a Week I Send My Autistic Son To School
Five days a week we rush out the door. There’s a lot of yelling, some giggles, and usually a sigh of relief when we see the bus coming down the street.
Five days a week we put our non verbal son on the bus and we trust with everything that we have that he will be well taken care of, loved, and included.
In May during field day Whit’s para of almost two years told us she was leaving. They may have had to sneak me out the back wearing sunglasses indoors because I was so sad.
I was told there would be an extensive search to find the perfect fit for Whit’s resource classroom and for Whitman himself.
I trusted the process even though it was hard. I prayed that the perfect person would walk in.
Five days a week I send my son to school.
But he has started to come home and when I ask did you have a good day? He smiles and vocally says: “happy.” I never really know what it means but I’m grateful he’s happy.
Until last week when I was sent this picture by Whitman’s GenEd teacher.
It’s his para. Whitman takes a long time to warm up to you. But when he does it’s for life.
Para’s do not get the credit they deserve. They show up and they are a packaged deal with Whit. We try to always show appreciation. They are down in the trenches of the hard some days and they are a part of the pure joy of others.
We hit the jackpot with our new para. She and Whit are the perfect team to take on second grade.
Five days a week I send my son to his people. He’s the happiest he’s been ever. His para is one of the top reasons why we trust the system that we send Whit to. And for that I am grateful.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to read this. I am mother to a an ASE teacher and have worked as a Para during my retirement. The women and men who have chosen this profession I believe have been chosen by God. As a full time Para I earned $11.00/hour to love and help teach these children. I’ve seen teachers cry because they care so much. I’ve heard one mother complain that she was told that her son was biting other children and she said -he has never bitten anyone before, when I knew her son had bitten my grandson in Sunday school and she had apologized profusely to my daughter. As teachers and paras attempt to do their best to teach the children how to control their impulses, we appreciate parents who understand the process and try to help. These heroes are on the front line, not fir the money, not for the benefits, but for the children and their futures, because they believe in their futures.. I’m excited to follow your blog and watch your son blossom.