12/12/2024
I have a story to tell.
Trusting others with our special needs kids when we are not present is beyond difficult.
William is Autistic and nearly 16, big birthday coming up soon.
One of the most challenging tasks in special needs parenting is trusting the people and environment they are in when you canāt be there to advocate and protect.
Thatās why most of us are proudly labeled āhelicopter parentsā . No one gets them like we do and they are common targets of bullying and harassment, as William has been.
Tuesday, upon arrival at school, a peer entered the classroom with a red face covering.
He set his backpack on a teachers chair and proceeded to reveal a gun, although a toy, and point it at everyone.
With the unexpected action, and unaware of the nature of the weapon, the teachers acted swiftly and without hesitation and removed him from the room and sent him home.
Schools policy is to file a police report when weapons of any kind are brought to school and notify any parents who may need to be made aware.
My phone rang at 9:30am.
I was notified of the incident, and because this boy and William have had a strained relationship, they felt I should be notified.
My mind immediately went to William and how terrified he must have been and the āwhat ifsā. He already struggles with trust and fear of what could unexpectedly happen to him. It made my skin crawl, my stomach sick and my heart sink.
His entry into the house at days end revealed a frightened look on his face and he immediately began telling the tale of the morning.
How scared they all were and how it brought flashbacks of something that happened to him nearly 3 years ago.
He said,ā I was in such a good mood this morning when I got to school and this ruined everything and I had flashbacks ofā¦.!ā I had no doubt.
Sure, homeschooling is an option a lot of parents have chosen who have the ability to facilitate that. I do not.
William thrives on socialization and regresses with isolation.
Yesterday morning he was awake at 5 and afraid to go school. Who wouldnāt be.
And yet each morning we continue to send our kids to school and trust that they will treated with kindness and that theyāll be safe. Sadly, that doesnāt always happen.
Our world can be terrifying.
The hate, the prejudice, the judgement, the fear.
Itās up to each one of us to do our part to create world that we can walk without fear, our children can breath with confidence and love without prejudice.
One act of kindness, as small as a smile and a hello, can remind a distraught individual that there is still kindness to be found and blue skys and sunshine to light our way.
Be kind, always.
