Preschool Olympics

Every year Thomas's school holds a Preschool Olympics event after their unit on nutrition and health.  It is a big event in the gym that parents and extended family can attend.  Since Thomas had been having trouble entering the gym for some time, his teacher and I had been brainstorming ideas to make him feel involved with this big event in the gym :(  The first goal was to get him comfortable entering the gym, which we worked on earlier this month and accomplished!  Thomas was not ready to participate in the games, so we came up with the idea of making him a score keeper.  He loved the idea and he helped make the scoring flip chart and practiced it with the speech teacher leading up to the event.  

Today was the big day.  The children had all decorated their own Olympic shirt and made torches.   They all marched into loud, booming Olympic music.  I was nervous, for Thomas, but I knew he was prepared for what was going to happen during the event.  The teachers really helped out and the speech therapist held his hand as they marched, and she sat with him while he kept score.  Again can't emphasize the importance of helpful staff.  He did amazing!!!  From not being able to enter the gym a few weeks ago to walking around a crowded gym with Olympic music, and smiling while keeping score!  At the end, when they announced his name for a medal he went up by himself to receive it.  Super proud of him as this was a very brave thing for him to do!  He was truly proud of himself and he felt like part of the team!  

This could have been a disaster, had the school and I not communicated and planned for how to help Thomas through this day.  This time last year, we couldn't even dream of this moment.  I have learned this year to always be my child's advocate.  If they WANT to do something that is challenging for them at school (or anywhere) and are scared, try to work with the school, coach, etc. to figure out how they can participate in a way that is comfortable for them.  So happy he was able to do this instead of avoiding it!  It is the victories like this that make all of Thomas's hard work and our diligent efforts absolutely worth it!!!!  Here he is being the score keeper and waiting to get his medal. (He's the one with the teacher's arm around him)

Getting a feel for the gym ... part 2

A few days later I came to school one morning and went in the gym with Thomas.  He did great!  At first he said he wanted to leave, but I pushed him a little.  I asked what made it scary, the smell, the bright lights, the noise and he said the noise.  We asked the gym teacher what the buzzing noises were and he told us it was the heater.  Thomas and I joked that if they turned it off the whole school would be freezing and need to wear their hats, etc (Humor really works with him.)  He thought this was funny, so then I walked him around the gym and we started looking at the pictures and stuff around the room, then he started galloping and eventually I said I bet you can't beat me to the other side of the gym and then he took off.  After that he was fine.  Running all over, throwing balls, etc.  I am hoping he remembers the experience and how fun it was.  Plus knowing what the buzzing sound is might help him too.  Who knows, but I am hoping!!  I am going to join him for a gym class or two 

Getting a feel for the gym

Thomas is really terrified of going in the school gym.  This has everything to do with sensory processing issues.  He would go in for a minute or two and want to leave.  The teacher said his body stiffens and she can feel his anxiety.  I sat down with the teacher and SP therapist last week to come up with a plan for getting him in there at a time other than gym class to get a feel for the space.  The speech therapist tried taking him and his buddy down there this week to play super heroes.  Thomas was super excited about this all the way down the hall, but when they got to the gym door he froze and refused to go in.  She called me later that day and after discussing it with her, we decided that I would come in one morning and try to work with him one on one in there.