Preschool buddy playdate

One of the hardest, but most necessary requirements of Thomas's therapy is to have several one on one play dates, primarily with children in his class.  The hope is that with one on one play, his comfort level will grow with that child and then eventually carry over to the classroom with that same buddy.  This is hard for two reasons.  1.  He doesn't have a lot of friends in the class and other than drop off and pick up, I have very little interaction with these children's parents.  I really have to step out of my comfort zone to ask a parent for a play date.  2.  If they agree, I know that play dates are very hard for Thomas and he often ends up avoiding the other child all together.  Awkward!!!  

There is one child who has a quieter personality that the teachers told me might be a good match for him.  I talked to his mom and we had a playdate with this classmate this week.  It went okay.  We met at a little indoor park for preschoolers that Thomas is very familiar with.  We discussed common questions before hand.  I had him handover the entrance ticket to his friend and then tried to engage them in some activities.  Thomas's friend was very interested in playing with him, but I wish I could say the same for Thomas.  He did speak to him a few times throughout the hour, but he went off by himself every chance that he got.  I kept trying to pull him back in with activities, such as helping us build a tower out of blocks or play bowling, but the more I tried, the more he resisted.  All this while juggling a fiesty 5 month old.  He wouldn't say bye to his friend after the playdate, wave or acknowledge him in anyway.  It is so easy to get frustrated in these situations, and I do, but I have to remind myself that he is not trying to be this way.