On the last day of school before break, Thomas's class had a holiday pj party and he insisted on wearing his blinking Rudolph nose and antlers. We talked about how a lot of kids would probably be asking him questions and giving him attention and he was excited. I was cautiously optimistic and you know what, he did great with it!
Parents were invited to come for the last half hour of school that morning and join in the party. Thomas's baby brother and I went to see him and he was so excited to see us. All the extra people (parents, siblings, etc.) threw him off a little and he was much more reserved, but he had a great time. He was chatting with me and his brother. They played musical chairs, and while he decided he wasn't comfortable doing it with all the people there, he was able to be the dj. He loved turning the music on and off with his teacher and watching the kids try to find a chair. He had a huge smile on his face.
In the past, I would have always felt sad for him that he wasn't able to participate in the game, but because he was given a special job and he felt like he was a real part of it, I wasn't sad at all and neither was he. Some teachers get it and some don't. Last year's did not, but this year's teacher does and it makes ALL the difference. She found a way to include him and instead of him or I or anyone else focusing on what he couldn't do, we focused on what he could do. His smile said it all that day!
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