Know your audience

Spencer participated in the Special Olympics yesterday.  I don't think he has ever been to an event that was that big.  All special ed students in Fayette county from elementary, middle and high school seemed to be participating.  There are no real events for the children under 8.  They play in the 'Olympic Village', which is just a bunch of games where they earn trinkets. (Bowling, hitting a beach ball with a bat, etc.) Sounds like fun. Not for Spencer.  They had music being piped in to large speakers on the football field.  The high school that sponsored it had their band in the stands playing music.  All of the high schools represented had their mascot there.  In addition, the Atlanta Braves mascot was there.  Can you say sensory overload for a child like Spencer.  The first thing they did as part of the opening ceremonies was to walk around the track, each school carrying a banner.  I wasn't sure I would see my little dude in the crowd.  Not to worry.  When his school came around, I saw a child falling to the ground every few steps and crying.  Yep, that was my guy.  It was made worse when he saw me.  He wanted to leave.  So, I was asked to come join them on the field.  That ticked the little guy off.  He wanted the hell out of dodge.  As difficult as it was, I couldn't leave.  It was new and he needed to work through it.  Unfortunately in life, I am not always able to escape that things that set him off, so he really needs to learn how to cope.  Thankfully, I had the help of his girlfriend, Kelly (a paraprofessional at his school), she was such a morale booster.  If I would've had to go through that by myself, I probably would have broken down crying and left when he started yanking me toward the exit.  He does have some stamina!  he was able to sustain a full blown meltdown tantrum for a full 70 minutes (which totally had momma missing the drive-through daiquiri shops of home!!)  We got him calmed down finally.  Once we did, he seemed to enjoy himself.  He really liked it when the drums from the high school band did a song by themselves.  (Drum music stimulates the right hemisphere, by the way.)  He even sat up in the stands and watched several school mates run in races.  So we did end up on a good note. Whew!

This is the poor little guy during the parade.  Not a happy camper.

 This was after he was calmed down, obviously.

Mommy ran to Kroger while Spence was at therapy and picked up a couple of bottles of wine.  Humor and alcohol- my coping mechanisms!!!