Opinion

The end of an era for my nephew with autism

I sat in the dark and cried this afternoon. Please don't get the wrong idea - they were tears of joy. I was sitting in the school gym at my nephew’s school. The kids were rehearsing their end-of-the-year school play. I’ve worked as his aide at this particular school for the better part of a decade. The kids are acting out small vignettes and large musical numbers that they’ve written themselves. They've been working on it since January. As they sing and dance, a wave of memories of them all as Kindergarteners  floods through me. Suddenly Leo is six years old again. Big blue eyes and bowl cut hair. He is crouched on the floor with me watching the action from more than an arm’s length.

In The Beginning

In the old days, I was literally up there on stage with him. Slowly, I moved down to the floor in front. As he got older he wore headphones and played drums. It was a great way to participate without having to deal with other people’s anxious agendas and the blast of sensory information barreling at him from all sides.

The Breakthrough

I remember the exact moment of the first real onstage breakthrough: The third grade moment when his joy overrode his anxiety and he allowed himself to get swept up in the music. The class parents erupted in applause as they witnessed his undeniable love for performing. He broke down in tears; overwhelmed with the emotionality of it all.

The End of an Era

But the arduousness of that is over now. Now he struts. He has comedic timing. He oozes confidence and, without any bias at all, I can honestly say, he has a spectacular singing voice. He is thriving and I can't believe it is literally The End Of An Era.

I'm An Empty Nester

He will be on his own next year, without an aide, at a school that specializes in teaching kids with different learning profiles. He already has a movie date lined up. Both he and his new friend (they met at the orientation) know exactly how long the movie is in length and the day it comes out in theatres. This from a child who sat at a table for 40 hours a week doing every kind of therapy his parents could get their hands on. And now he’s flown the nest.

He Changed My Life Forever

He's changed my life forever and given me the priceless gift of his perspective. The fire within him is burning bright. It’s impossible to say what the future will bring, but one thing is for sure – he will have a say in it. I am proud to retire my title as Therapist and be Just Auntie forever after.  That's more than good enough for me.