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)
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)
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