The longer the idea rolled around in my head, it changed a little from my original plan. I ordered some Autism Awareness trinkets from Oriental Trading.....pencils, pens, silicon bracelets and the like. A treat may or may not have been part of the plan too, but don't tell on me because sending sweets into school is taboo!!! LOL!!! I made up a gift bag for each student in the 5th grade of Bobby's elementary school, not just his home room, but all 3 total classes since they all have been part of his school life.
I sat down to write a letter to go with each classroom's gift pack and it wrote itself quickly as a thank you letter to these awesome kids. I've decided to share the letter because Bobby and his class went through their promotion ceremony this week, even through they have a few more days of school to make up snow days from this past winter. But mainly, I decided to share because of the totally unexpected reaction to the letter from the kids.
Bobby's autism teacher, Ms Kim, helping Bobby receive his promotion certificate.
Dear Skyview 5th Graders,
April is Autism Awareness Month. In honor of the occasion, we wanted to share some autism awareness items with you. We realize that you have more awareness of the symptoms and issues that can be a part of autism than most, because of your daily contact with Bobby and any other classmates that also have an autism diagnosis.
Most of all we wanted to take a minute to say THANK YOU for the way that you have treated Bobby. There are stories on the internet all of the time about special needs kids being bullied at school, however, Bobby has received the opposite treatment from you, his Skyview classmates.
Over his years at Skyview, we have received reports from his teachers and aides about you guys helping Bobby in specials, especially phys. ed. and music. We have been texted pictures of classmates helping Bobby play basketball and hockey, holding his hand and helping him play at recess, and helping him in the cafeteria. We have heard stories about classmates taking turns on the see saw with Bobby at recess and pushing him on the swings before he figured out how to swing by himself.
I have witnessed his classmates yelling "Hi" and "Bye" to Bobby when he left school early or had to come in late. Last year, those of you in Mrs. Talbert's class, even risked getting in trouble for being loud in the halls when you all yelled "Happy Birthday Bobby" down the hall to him as we left early for his afternoon therapy appointment.
However, when the entire class voted to include Bobby in the this year's Christmas program, even with his loud noises, you made us so incredibly happy and proud. If only the rest of the world had as much compassion and understanding of those with autism as this group of 5th graders!!!
Thank you to Bobby's fellow classmates who have come up and said hi to him at the mall, grocery store, Wal-Mart and rail trail. Thank you to those of you who have introduced yourself to me while I was volunteering during book fairs or in the office picking up Bobby in the afternoon and proudly told me that you were in class with him.
Our greatest hope is that you continue to watch out for your special needs classmates as you venture on to middle school next year.
If any of you have any questions about Bobby or autism, please feel free to ask Mrs. Wasserman or your teachers. If they don't have the answer they know how to get a hold of us and we will get the answer to you!
Sincerely Proud Skyview Parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Bobby and his buddy, Sonny along with their autism teacher and aides.
The ceremony is now over and I would like to add to their thank you letter.....
Thank you for not even noticing or being bothered in any way by Bobby's loud noises that he made during the ceremony!!!
It just showed that Bobby is part of their lives, just like a family member, and these noises are just part of the package that they have accepted....no big deal!! Oh my goodness, how I love these kids!
Bobby and Sonny with the women who rule their lives!!!!
The 5th grade teachers read the letter and passed out the goodies on April 1, the beginning of Autism Awareness month. The 5th graders reaction to this was more and greater than any of us would have ever guessed!! The goodies and gift bags were absolutely secondary. No one had ever mentioned them, it was all about the letter. Have I mentioned lately how I love these kids!
Bobby's regular ed homeroom teacher told me that one girl, after the teacher read the letter, said, "wow, it must have been really hard for her to send him to school." OH MY GOODNESS, I never expected the kids to GET IT, really get it at this age. Yes, sweetie, it was very hard!! His teacher posted the letter on the board in the classroom and she said that she has seen each student, at one time or another, go up and reread the letter. Yes, I love these kids!! One of the other 5th grade teachers reported that she had never witnessed her class be so quiet as a group as when she was reading the letter aloud to them.
A few days later, I was asked if I could come in and be interviewed about Bobby by some of the 5th graders for a project. Turned out the project with an Autism Awareness video that would be posted on the school website for the entire school to view. A 5th grade student interviewed Ms Kim, Bobby's autism teacher and me about autism. So the letter turned into an school wide autism awareness project. Have I told you lately how much I love his school and never want him to leave there!!
Ms Kim reported to me that many people came up to her and said the video was very helpful and that they learned a great deal. Best possible outcome for autism awareness where I really need it most, with his peers and teachers!!!!
Bobby with his super proud parents!!
The 5th graders stepped up their game even more with Bobby as a result. It went from random reports of his regular ed classmates being helpful to daily reports!!! A student, on his own, went over and helped Bobby hit a ball with a bat. They were in gym class, the boy came over and hand over hand, helped Bobby at his turn at bat.
The gate was open on the playground when his class went out for recess, Bobby saw the opening and went out. He just wanted to stand there and look in from the other side of the fence. A girl from his class went out and stood beside him and talked to him until he was ready to come back in.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love these kids!!
I was sitting in the school office waiting for Bobby to be brought out so that we could leave for his therapy. A boy walked in, put a paper in the basket and turned to leave. He looked at me and said, "are you Bobby's mom?" I smiled and said "yes" and he nodded to me in a cool kid, cocky way with a slight smile on his face. A look that said....you are good people!!
5th grade graduates Sonny and Bobby
My advice to autism parents.....teach their classmates about autism. As a parent, you know much more about the topic than their regular ed teachers. The word autism was never taboo in his education. I jumped into the conversation when Bobby was in the 3rd grade when I made up a presentation about Bobby, with pictures of him doing what he likes to do, and it was shared with the entire 3rd grade. Instead of being "the weird kid" he is a boy with autism.
Bobby and Ms. Kim, his autism teacher. I'm not sure what we are all going to do without each other next year. Who's going to take it harder.....Bobby, Ms. Kim or me???
Good luck to the 5th grade class of 2016. I couldn't me more proud of you!!
