End of School Celebration
Aidan mastered a new country, a new school, and a new day to day life when we moved from our home in Northern Ontario to Colorado in January of this year. One awesome thing that resulted from our life change (according to Aidan) was that school got out early (end of May vs. end of June) and we celebrated!
My reaction to his choice of the ever popular chain, "Chuck E Cheese's" was age appropriateness. How many 12 year old boys bounce around this place and get excited to play the games? Well mine does, and so we went.
The gap between Aidan and his peer group is most certainly gaining width and breadth, at an alarming rate. I still hold his hand when we cross an intersection, he needs activities at restaurants to keep him occupied and still prefers the "kids menu," while Owen, his younger sibling, at age 10 is devouring full size portions with vigour.
He will enter grade 7 in the upcoming school year and we have been fortunate to enrol in an amazing school with supports and excellent staff that understand the nuances of Autism. He is starting to form a thin line across the top of his lip, and when I glance at certain angles, he is starting to grow a full pre-teen moustache. I think about the "rules of engagement" in his Middle School social network and know full well that they are completely lost on Aidan. My hope is that his peers, his school and his community will understand and accept - that is really all any of us parenting on the Spectrum can wish for.
So I will continue with the visits to the place of cheese oozing pizza and bring home stacks of books from our library (that come from pre-school section, even though he can read) and continue to guide him the best that I can. Cheese and Challenges.
