The brighter side of autism

megpmom
Fri, 05 Feb 2016 09:40:16 +0000

My son’s 2nd grade teacher told me that “mainstreaming” was not working for him and that he needed to be sent to a specialist school for autism. We decided that she was just a poor, lazy teacher and we requested that he be swtiched to the other 2nd grade class. Today, he’s a nationally recognized classical singer and a junior in college on the Dean’s List every semester. So, guess who was wrong? Disclaimer: he did have speech, OT and social skills therapy through the school district and private therapy in middle school, but otherwise always in a “typical” or GT classroom. Sure, it takes him longer than a “typical” kid to adjust to new situations and learn social skills, but he’s getting there. He’s got a ton of acquaintances, a couple close friends and as much social interaction as he can handle.