Gavin is 10. He has ASD and associated anxiety. He has a home unit. After the first 8 sessions, I had asked his parents if they had noticed any changes, but they couldn’t pin-point anything. I scheduled a visit for a few days later to see his brother. When I arrived, this is what they told me:
Gavin has always had a hard time at school Christmas concerts. Typically, he can stay calm in the range of seconds to minutes in that setting. He has never actually performed at a concert. We normally have to leave because his anxiety is too great. One year we forced him to stay for 20 minutes so that we could watch his brother. It was a 20-minute wait and he yelled and swore at everyone around us for that time.
This year was different. His class was performing last. He sat through the entire concert calmly and quietly. When it was his class’ turn, he was able to join them on stage. And he sang. And the whole time, he was tapping out the metronome beat on his leg.”
His parents were so happy. They never expected to be able to see him perform in a Christmas concert, so it was a huge treat for them. I’m excited to see what other changes we notice. I noticed a big change in his demeanor when I visited. He was calmer, less stressed and more able to make eye contact and take on other challenging tasks.
Jessica Miklos Learning Specialist, Thrive Academy
Comments