We interupt our regularly scheduled programming. . .

We interrupt the regularly scheduled programming to bring you this news flash. Well, it feels like I have to make a big deal about stopping all other activities (of which there are too many) to simply share our latest big news. Yesterday we received a draft copy of the evaluation report from the formal evaluation done on Sam. The evaluation was to determine if Sam is considered to have Autism Spectrum Disorder. First let me say that I’m not afraid of labels when labels are used to help find solutions. So that said, yes, Sam is in fact considered to fit ASD. We are relieved in a way to finally have something to validate the concerns we have noticed for years. For us this isn’t just a label and is definitely not a negative thing. Sam is who he is. He is funny, loveable, outgoing, Mr. Personality, smart and just a great kid. We love him so much. But there are things that he really struggles with. We have tried diligently to provide him everything we can come up with to help him. Some things work better than others. Sometimes doing the same things work and then all of the sudden it doesn’t. We admit we aren’t perfect parents and not the perfect family. But we are definitely a family that cares about each other and want to help each other succeed in life and feel good about who we are. So we look forward to additional help! We say bring on the help! At this point we feel like anything can help make a difference. We look forward to our IEP meeting next week and hope that it goes well in helping to develop a specific plan for Sam that will help all of us on this journey.

I also have to say that we have been very blessed to be put in places and situations where we have met others who are dealing with the same thing. It all feels very well orchestrated. It has been an interesting couple of months having the right things and the right people in the right places just at the right time. I won’t recall all supposedly coincidental scenarios but one of my favorites came on a day quite recently that I was feeling a little stressed by knowing what to do for Sam. I took a break from my regularly scheduled programming. I stopped working on museum things. I stopped working on school work. I stopped doing laundry, bills, church stuff, and anything else on the never-ending list we all seem to have. I decided to take a drive into the country to check out a ½ off book sale at a school, thanks to a tip from a good friend who was working the sale. I felt guilty about doing something that shouldn’t have been as high on the priority list. But it felt like the right thing to do so I moved on.

I found the school and my friend. I started to peruse the books finding birthday presents and summer reading and making a stack of what to choose from. Another woman near me said “aren’t you Sam’s mom?” I must admit my first thought, although not verbalized was “what, I’m in the tiny town of Beal City for heaven sakes, how many people KNOW Sam!” I simply replied “yes”. She then introduced herself and I realized why she looked a little familiar. She is the OT that works with kids at our school (among others). She was a participant in the very first meeting we had early this year to discuss how we can find a way to get Sam OT, which is the one thing his Kindergarten teacher felt he could benefit from. This is the meeting where after reviewing all the facts it was decided to have him observed to see if an evaluation for ASD could be done. She then said some things that changed my whole day. Her comment was “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but I really hope he qualifies for services because I would love to work with Sam”. That made me smile. Most adults do love Sam because his personality is so much fun. You never know what will come out of his mouth next. I think he should be a standup comedian some day. Anyway, she then proceeded to tell me the cutest story of how she saw a girl come up to him the other day and say “Sam I love your shoes”. I guess it took him back a bit and although he knows how to dish out the compliments he said “well I love your, your, your… (looking for the right thing to say) your FACE!” I’m still giggling about this one.

I left the book fair with some great deals and a smile both inside and out that not only does my son make others smile but that this sweet woman has a genuine desire to help our son. She made my day. The drive home became so refreshing. Instead of worrying about Sam and how to help him, as well as the never-ending list of things to get done, I noticed just how beautiful the day was. The air was crisp and clean. Life was all around me, colors of green and new growth instead of brown, dirty snow and ice. I couldn’t help but notice how blessed I am to live in such a beautiful place. How lucky for me to have experienced that brief conversation that changed my day. A lesson learned, sometimes we have to follow our feelings and take a break from our regularly scheduled programming. You never know what good may come.