We are quickly approaching September and that means a new school year will start in a mere 2 weeks. It is cause for excitement and cause for anxiety. Squidget is excited and I am anxious. Actually I am super excited for him as well, but Squidget will be starting 1st grade with new teachers, a new principal, a new counselor, a new classroom aide, and some new friends. That leaves a lot more “unknowns” than I am generally comfortable with; and when Squidget gets into the classroom that many “new things” will be difficult for him to manage. I worry that his teacher may not understand autism and find his quirky ways to be a discipline issue rather than a wiring issue. I worry that his aide will not push him to be the best version of himself; or worse yet settle for mediocrity (he or she will have BIG shoes to fill).  I worry that I will have to fight fight fight when I just got comfortable working with a unified professional team that has helped Squidget set and reach the goals he should. An entire summer is a long time to be pondering these things, but alas as the 1st day of school draws near I can finally  work on my preemptive due diligence and put in some volunteer time to get us off to the right start and hopefully score some extra points to help me maneuver more freely should the need arise.

Despite my worries, I am adamant about focusing on ALL the good things that happened to Squidget in the last year. I’m trying to review and document everything that was hugely successful while cataloging what did not work at all. I know what can go horribly wrong with all of these new people in play while I recognize all of the great things that can come of it too. Last year Squidget got off to a rough start but his year ended quite brilliantly. I believe wholeheartedly that his end success was due to his hard work combined with the circle of people around him who “got him” and were willing to work WITH his brand of thought rather than against it. I am hopeful and optimistic that the year ahead will bring at least as many positive results and I hold on tightly to the idea that the educators that will surround us will be open minded, proactive, empathetic, and kind-hearted. I don’t suppose that will be too difficult since most of the educators that I know are exactly this brand of professional. We will cherish the next two weeks of summer and prepare for an amazing new year. While I expect there to be some challenges along the way, I am optimistic and my boxing gloves are never too far out of reach should I need them.