Today you start on a new journey. It took many long years to get here, but you are finally here, your first day of middle school. It is a scary yet exciting adjustment for you. You are going from a very sheltered elementary school environment where you had the same teacher for almost 5 years, to a brand new much bigger school with not just one but many new teachers. There will be no aide to help you this year. You will be on your own in this new world. I am more than a little scared for you.
Mainstreamed. ..Mainstreamed. It is a scary word. It will be a new adventure and I am looking forward to watching you grow and bloom. However there is another part of me that refuses to be the naïve parent who is blind to the truth. We are currently standing at the bottom of the mountain- a mountain called adolescence and puberty. We are preparing for the climb that will lead us to the top, the rest of your life. And I want to know while this climb might be steep I am here to catch you if you fall and help you shape a new path need be. I believe in you.
Middle school is a scary place, but even scarier for someone with Autism. Be yourself. You are unique and wonderful just the way God created you. Don’t change yourself in order to “fit in”. If others can not see how fantastic and remarkable you are, that is their loss- not yours.
Surround yourself with the right kind of people who will support you as you climb to reach your goals. Not the ones who will push you down. Remember that I will always love you. I am never too busy for you or your “problems”. I will always listen. Always be your biggest support.
Have fun. You are on the brink of learning so much. It won’t be easy going, but I know you can do it. Smile and laugh. Make new friends. Enjoy each moment. Concur that mountain.
Credits:
Little Butterfly Wings: M3 Sept 2017 Add Ons, M3 July 2016 Add ons
M3 Sept 2017
