Today was suppose to be another tennis match for Ryan and Nick--at their home school. I dropped off the boys (because I have another boy to get to baseball practice). As I was leaving, the coach waved for me to stop. I drove closer to him, and rolled down the window.
"There's been a change," states Coach W. "Today is an 'away' game. Yeah, the schedule says 'home', but..."
Change. Sudden change. Oh what fun for boys with autism.
I thanked the coach for letting me know. I told him that I'd let the boys know. So I pulled into a parking space and ran to the boys.
Although the rest of the team members were picking up the tennis balls, racquets, and gear, no one had told Ryan and Nick what was happening. I told the boys briefly that the location of the game had changed. I made sure one of them had his cell phone.
Ryan seemed to adapt quite easily. Nick had a look of apprehension on his face. I told Nick not to worry. I encouraged them to have fun and do their best. I also said to stay together and call when they were back at their school. They were the last to get on the bus, but they seemed at ease.
Another round of plans end in a "surprise". I am bummed that I'll miss this match. I'll find out how it all turns out when they get back. :)
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I can sure relate to how a little thing like that can be a huge issue for kids on the spectrum. ( My pet peeve is when it's a special needs teacher changing things who seems to have no clue that this could be a problem!) Glad it worked out--hopefully this was a learning opportunity to see that they can deal with the unexpected more easily than they thought.
ReplyDeleteLife is always unpredictable. That is one of the most important lessons for kids with autism to learn. Tis one step at a time. I teach the boys to make a plan but be flexible. Easy to say, but hard to do.
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