Autism’s Quiet Heroes

     Weston Roberts is four years old and goes to pre-school three days each week, at a church just down the street from his home. One of his therapists, Andrea, goes with him, partly to see how he reacts, partly to help him with activities, mostly just in case. Andrea is a graduate student who has been working with our grandson for two years. Last summer she changed her masters program halfway through because otherwise she would not have been able to continue with him. Ashley, his lead therapist, has gone through extra training specifically for him. We are most appreciative. Weston enjoys the class, is excited about going, participates, doesn’t talk much, but obviously understands what is happening and follows instructions well. He needs the social interaction and his teachers are careful to include him in everything. They think he may be ready to attend by himself. His parents are a bit nervous about that just yet but Andrea is getting married next month and they will be without her for two weeks. Mom plans to go in her stead and maybe hide in the hallway to see what happens.
     Now Weston is going to Sunday school as well. His parents have gone back to church after a lengthy hiatus. Jenna can’t say enough about how kind the people there have been. They don’t go together exactly. Chris attends an adult class and the primary worship service. Jenna stays with Weston. She keeps us laughing non-stop with stories about the class, an elderly couple trying to teach something about God to a dozen precocious four year olds. Weston handles the din okay. It isn’t that different from his regular school. He gets itchy during the sit down period for lessons but so do the other children. After six weeks Jenna is about ready to trust him to the care of a mature teenager who will take him on as a ministry. Jenna would really like to join Chris and the adults but someone has to be prepared to deal with Weston if he becomes agitated. The Sunday school director tells Jenna he isn’t the first child with autism they have encountered. They have seen several and they have always managed to work them into their classes. She thinks Weston will be fine. Jenna worries that the director has only seen Weston’s angelic side. A responsible teenager should be able to calm him though, take him out into the hallway or into the director’s office if anything should happen. Weston can’t always have a professional therapist with him.
     Weston’s grandmother tries to conduct a “gram camp” in the summer with as many of her grandchildren as can manage to be here. This year she plans to have two five year olds for the first time. We are hoping that Weston will come too. If he does his mother will come with him. We can handle him one-on-one but not with a large group of other children. One thing we know we can count on though, his cousins will accept him without question and work extra hard to make him feel included. That’s another thing we are thankful for.
     Weston’s parents, not to mention his grand parents, dream that he will someday, someday soon, be able to attend normal schools and be indistinguishable from his peers. He will play sports, go to college, have a career, make intimate friends, experience romance, even marry and have children of his own. We think he has a reasonable shot at it, not least because he will have a great deal of help.