Additional Needs
Why we need the Special Olympics
by Jodi Shenal
on 3rd May, 2024
Learning Social Cues
It made me think and realise how wonderful he is and how remarkable he is.
It made me remember achievements that people would see as little, if seen at all, but for me they were the biggest achievements ever.
Little things that I spent hours looking for either adapted equipment or just literally sitting and teaching him how to adapt to make his life manageable in the outside world.
I remember crying the first time he picked up his fork and ate a piece of meat off of it at the age of 5, teaching him every meal time that you put food on your fork and then into your mouth. Taking it in baby steps.
He was excited to come home and tell me how he had eaten using his folk at school, he spoke a lot about how people had stopped commenting on how he ate like a baby.
I was looking back at his emotional awareness. He still has no clue about it all, however he has taught himself how to react to certain experiences.
To start with he would look blankly when people hurt themselves, he then realised he had to react and so laughed when someone hurt themselves.
He has now progressed and does a sad face when someone is hurt. This is massive!
He still struggles a lot with situations that we haven’t spoken about, and there are many.
We were told that 2 boys in his class said that they liked him and were waiting for a response, our son didn’t know how to respond so hit them and then went into a ball.
When we got home we spoke about what to do the next time someone says this.
Nearly every day he is now asking how he should have responded to a certain situation as he recites in perfect detail an event that happened at school.
He wants to have friends however isn’t sure how to make friends due to his social understanding.
I love my boy so much, I wouldn’t change him for the world, however he is learning that he is different and is asking to help him adapt.
I never say he has to change, he doesn’t, and he is perfect. I say that I will help him to cope with the world that isn’t ready for his awesomeness.
