Autism + A Caring Elementary School = Hope

Chris and Mercy enjoying field trip to DC

As Chris'  elementary school days came to an end last week I began to reflect on how much has changed since we walked through those doors five years ago. I will never forget how hopeless I was feeling about what the next few years would bring - especially when I saw how big and unimpressive our rural elementary school appeared to be.*  The building was obviously too small and overcrowded. It was loud and hectic. The noise reverberated off of the painted block walls and ugly exposed pipes and duct work. I felt like I had stepped back into the 1940's. This old school sure didn't look like it had kept pace with the times. How would my first grader who liked quiet and had so much difficulty adjusting ever do well here? My heart sank. I was admittedly pretty biased against public education after the struggle my older son had and from the reports I had gotten from the parent groups I belonged to. We had tried a small private school that had a great reputation only to find that he couldn't function there. He couldn't return to the Montessori school where he was before for a variety of reasons, one of them being the high cost. This was the last hope and it didn't look good.

Sometimes first impressions can be so wrong.

At the time we didn't know for sure what our son's diagnosis was. We did know that he had a very hard time in crowded places, he had sensory issues and he didn't communicate appropriately in a school situation. He was terrified of new things and crowded places. The private school was very concerned that he would hurt himself there as he crashed himself into walls when he was having sensory overload.

It seemed like Val, the dean of students at Clermont Northeastern Elementary had made the connection already. She was kind, knowledgeable and above all seemed to genuinely want to help our son. She assured me that she had just the right first grade teacher who could help him transition. I began to feel a little hope begin to take hold.

She was right. From the very first day he began to feel more comfortable in his new school. Each year his teachers would be selected with care and it always seemed like he got just the right teacher. His first three teachers were very nurturing and consistent, and when he needed teachers who would push a little, he got those too. He was quickly assigned an aide which is often something parents must battle for – even in affluent districts.

I think the difference in this school was attitude. They looked at my son and didn't see just the problems or make assumptions based on his eventual diagnosis of autism. They saw his ability, his gentleness and his quirky sense of  humor when he let it come out. They embraced his love of chickens and built upon it. They appreciated the way his mind works.

All of the staff joined in with his love of chickens and would think of ways to work them into his school day. They knew he would talk about them and it was a way to get him to come out of himself. His teachers gave him chicken themed gifts at Christmas and the librarian saved some old chicken books especially for him. He was allowed to keep small chicken figurines on his desk and used stuffed chickens as visuals for goal setting. One teacher even tried a live hatching project. He blossomed socially as well as academically and made the honor roll on a regular basis.

Chris (blue stripes) and his buddies

As I watched this happy and more confident boy clowning with his friends on field day it was hard to imagine that he was the same sad and frightened first grader who wouldn't speak or look at the other children. In fact, not only does he now have friends, you might even say that he is popular! Last week while on a field trip in Washington DC, his classmates all began to cheer when they saw us drive by. He looked at me grinning and said "I kinda feel like a celebrity". Indeed. Although the challenge of middle school looms large in the future, at least for now he is a happy kid.

It takes a lot of different interventions to help a kid with autism learn to cope with their challenges and to be the best they can be. It involves trial and error as well as going with your gut feelings. Even though I have credited Chris' involvement with his pets and his service dog as important factors in his ongoing improvement, his school experience has undoubtedly been a huge one as well. Having the input and expertise of all of those who have worked with him at CNE has been invaluable. In fact it has been one of the most successful examples of great teamwork that I have ever seen. It is easy to understand why this school was named one of the National Blue Ribbon Award winners last year.

I thank all of his teachers, aides, intervention specialists, the librarian, the school secretary, his bus drivers, the principal and the assistant principal. All of you are wonderful and more appreciated than you will ever know.

And finally, to all the parents of newly diagnosed children with autism or other special needs: Don't give up hope. Find what your child loves and join them in that love, build on it and embrace it. Surround yourself with others who care enough to join in too. Don't under-estimate them or limit them because of a label. Believe in them and you might just be surprised!

Yes, sometimes first impressions can be so wrong.

* Two years ago the elementary moved to a much newer building.