AmandaZion is officially a Kindergartner! He is transferring to the school I work at and I couldn’t be more excited for him! He is pretty excited too. He asked me all year when he was going to come to my school. When I went in to clean my classroom I was even able to introduce him to a few teachers like our coach, STEM teacher, and a few more. I want him to be comfortable and feel safe. Unfortunately at his previous school he was picked on in his classroom. I know I have spoken about this before, but the last straw was when he told me that a little boy pinched his chest and put his hand around Zion’s throat. It is heartbreaking knowing that you can’t always protect your child. I don’t want him to be afraid and I want him to love school because he is so stinking smart and has the ability to learn so much. Zion is very by the rules and is not aggressive at all. He doesn’t understand how to defend himself even though we have tried to teach him how. In his mind, he only knows to tell the teacher. Jeremiah has made it clear to me that I cannot always protect him, but I feel like I can at least be there for him through 5th grade. After that, I know more challenges will come and I fear that.
Speaking of school, Zion also got to participate in the awards ceremony for The Academy of Social Diversity at his (now) previous school. I have mentioned this Academy before, but I am very grateful for the teachers, aides, and staff that run it. Although Zion never really needed his cool down space or his accommodations, I did take great comfort in knowing that they were there for my son if he was ever in need. That is the one part I will miss about his campus. They included Zion in everything from Olympic Fiesta to their awards ceremony. The Academy is an amazing program for students on the spectrum and I am grateful for their services.
Zion also played his last soccer game and even though the season has been frustrating, he played AMAZING in the last game!! It was like a different kid took over his body. He stayed with the ball, he kicked it hard, he chased the ball, and he even had a couple of shots on the goal. And although he didn’t score, we were so proud of him and took him to get a special prize after. He said he wants to play again, so we are thinking of signing him up for the fall because summer in south Texas is way too hot to be outside during the day.
So now we all get to kick back, relax, and enjoy our summer vacation! I look forward to working with Zion on his reading and taking him to some cool places. As always, thank you all so much for your support and love. Zion is so lucky to have such as amazing support system. As I always say, Autism doesn’t define my son, it just his life (and ours) a little spicier! Thank you for reading.
