by Julie Erdelyi
What do greetings really do for us? They are a social convention we expect, but one that has become so routine—a head nod, a single word—that I wonder why we keep using them. Of course greetings are a social courtesy we extend to others, but they have the potential to be so much more.
I teach children who have autism. The experiences with my students have shown me how important a greeting can be when it rises above the ordinary. It’s then that the greetings become an acknowledgement that we are thought about and cared about by others. Let me tell you what I mean.
First there was Jackie, a teenage girl with Retts Syndrome, who would rock and smile and yell enthusiastically when I said hello to her. Here she was, unable to walk, unable to speak and she was so happy to see me. I thought, “I have got to lighten up! There is not a single challenge I face that comes anywhere close to what Jackie copes with every day and she is smiling at me.”
by Ed Wilkens
Depending on family dynamics, you might become aware of any academic difficulties your child is experiencing over family dinner, while driving to soccer practice or in those quiet conversations just before bed. Or, you might be totally surprised to learn from your child's teacher or through a formal written progress report that things are not going as well as you had assumed.
Regardless of how you discover the challenges, what you do next is crucial and it's all about communication and relationships. The essential players include you, your child and the teacher or teachers relevant to the challenge. Potential additional partners might include a counselor, coach or administrator depending on the specifics of the challenge.
