This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Leading the Way

It's not often that my Autistic son is able to be a leader, but when it happens, I rejoice!

School has started; we have returned to early bedtimes and homework nightly. Spelling lists and classroom paperwork adorn our refrigerator.

My oldest thrives in this structured environment; my youngest would rather have a bit more room to wiggle.

This year, for the first time both boys are going to the same school. Thankfully I am able to walk the boys to school each day; we have a routine in place already with morning drop off.

Find out what's happening in College Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On the second day of school we walked in the building together, and I took the boys to the top of the hallway -- our drop off point -- so they can get right in the habit of walking themselves to class. The staff doesn’t like parents walking kids to their classrooms; most kids line up outside and then go in by grade level.

It tends to be a bit of a madhouse.

Find out what's happening in College Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

L fights the urge to have a breakdown because the environment is over stimulating, with the noise and the amount of people in a small space inadvertently bumping him and touching him.

He doesn’t like that at all, so to avoid all of that I take the boys by the hands and we head into the school, B-lining for our top of the hallway goodbye spot.

I give them each hugs and look them in the eye and tell them, "You are going to be great!" It’s our little tradition.

Every family needs those I think -- special sayings that only your family says to one another. I started telling L, “You are going to be great” when he began speech therapy at 3 years old. It’s one of the first words he could recite perfectly, and even now if you ask him “how are you today?" his reply, 9 times out of ten, will be “great!”

As they are about to turn and head down the hallway, Z reached out for L’s hand and said to him, "I need to hold your hand for a few days ... til I’m not nervous."

L simply replied, "Okay."

And off they went, holding hands down the hall, I watched as they hug and go their separate ways right at their classroom doors which are across from each other.

These are the moments I'll cherish and hold close to my heart, for I know they won’t last forever.

One of my sisters currently has teenagers, and I’ve witnessed their distain for each other. But for right now it’s comforting to reach out and know you have someone’s hand to hold.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?