Marching Back to School in Tune with Autism

photo taken by Sarah Andrade - family friend

Band camp concluded yesterday and the band had their first paid performance tonight. Wow - they have hit the ground running. Practices 2 nights a week, performing for every home football game, several marching competitions and school. Band is a definite investment of time and effort but bonding with friends is well worth it.

School starts on Monday. I'm not ready but Red is. I'm as ready as I can be - it just never feels like I can be totally prepared. In past years I have put together a letter of introduction for Red's teachers. OASIS once had a letter that could be tailored to the student but now has a few checklists and lots of other information that can help families and educators with students on the autism spectrum.

My experience is that teachers quite reading the letter in junior high, just when I was wanting a way to expedite getting the information to all of Red's teachers. One year I even sent in a short Power Point. It wasn't until the end of the year that a couple of his teachers even looked at it. Which is probably why the letter has been reduced to a checklist.

Looking back over the years of letters is one way to acknowledge Red's increasing abilities. Sure, it seems like every new level of accomplishment brings with it fresh challenges but I can track progress on his own chart. That's not to say that there aren't those times where he goes forward a few steps only to step back a couple now and again. Red has his own dance steps that's for sure.

What band camp has given Red is an ability to march in tune and step forward with an entire band. He's not off on the sideline or stepping to a tune no one can hear but him. He belongs. Red, in turn, plays his heart out for the band and his buddies.