Lessons…

My son Stalen is 4 years old. He was diagnosed on the spectrum at 21 months. He is non-verbal. We struggle every day with Autism and often times people do not understand our struggles or his behaviors.

This week I went on a field trip with my son’s preschool class and the upper class. One of the things that I loved was that the kids were waving and saying good morning to him. They knew he was non-verbal and wasn’t going to respond back but they still made it a point to greet him. They greeted him eagerly and excitedly…it was genuine. It is hard to put into words how I felt in that moment. As a parent to a child on the autism spectrum we hope and pray for friends for our kids. We hope that others will see how amazing they truly are. In that moment, these kids that I had never really met before gave me the greatest gift possible-they made my son feel loved and he mattered. Regardless of any diagnosis, he was included-they affirmed that he belonged with them and they accepted him-just as he is. It was beautiful!

Earlier this week when I picked up my son from pre-school I overheard a conversation between a boy (who is in Stalen’s class) and his Mom.

Mom: I’m glad you had a good day.
Son: I made a new friend.
Mom: What’s your new friends name?
Son: I don’t know his name. He can’t talk. But he’s my friend.

I could immediately feel my eyes well up and I had to quickly get in the car.

These amazing kids see so much more than Autism when they see my son. They see him as the amazing little boy that he is.

There are so many lessons that can be learned from these kids…

Every person matters. Every person needs to belong and be accepted for who they are.

One kind word or gesture-a simple hello, a wave, a smile-can and does make a difference.

People will always remember how you made them feel.

How you make others feel says a lot about you.

Sometimes I see people and I know they may not be sure what to say to us. I can sense that they are uncomfortable Most times in public, my son is moving and stimming fast. It is his way to cope with the world. If they are not sure how to handle this, they may want to avoid us or turn and go the other way. I want you to know…it’s okay if you don’t understand Autism. It’s okay if your not sure what to say to my son when you see us at the grocery store or out in the community. Please just say hi and treat him how you want to be treated. I will do the same thing and greet you and your children pleasantly and respectfully.

Please remember….my son and I are a package deal.

It’s really quite simple-if he doesn’t matter to you then you don’t matter to me!

There are so many lessons that can be learned from the hearts of small children. I’m so happy that I got to see one of those lessons first hand this week.