Yesterday was the first day of first grade religion class for our son. He went last year and loved it… even did good on the first day last year. But yesterday he was scared to go in the classroom and clung to me for dear life! Other parents and kids came in and went into the classroom with no issues, but we were outside the classroom, with my son refusing to go in, and our 3 year old in tow as well! One of the moms looked at us, wondering if we were waiting in line, so I told her briefly that our son has Aspergers and was really scared to go inside.
We finally got into the classroom, and one of the teachers / helpers carried him over to be with the rest of the group. When we came to pick him up, he was fine. It’s the transitions that are the hard part. He needs extra time, and new social experiences are sometimes terrifying for him. There are many times I wish he had a sign that said “I have Aspergers”… I think it would make life easier for everyone. I must admit it was also tempting to feel a bit jealous of the other moms and kids who went straight into the classroom with no issues, but I just remind myself, there’s many folks with problems much worse than us, and I’m thankful for the gift of our son.