Social Skills Group....not just for kids anymore.

Today, as per usual, Spencer and I headed off to speech at the clinic. He is currently attending 2x a week with one appointment geared towards social skills development, and the other being his private 1:1 session with Vanessa. Everyone there pretty much knows us by name and Spencer acts like he owns the place. As someone who has a tendency to put professionals through the wringer when it comes to them meeting the needs of my son, I have been so very impressed with their work with Spencer. As you may have learned, I don't generally leave any stone unturned when it comes to helping my boy. I ask questions, challenge and often direct people as to the best method in dealing with him. After all, who knows him better than me? There is a comfort level there for me and they treat my son with kindness and respect. We have been really fortunate with the services we have received from these people, and they have worked very hard to accommodate Spencer and all his needs. We have established fantastic communication with these professionals and I have come to value their opinion due to their invested commitment to Spencer's progress.

Spencer attends his social skills group on Monday mornings with one other boy who we met in the summer at the clinic. The purpose of this group is to work on interacting in social situations with peers. Creating communication through play, and developing problem solving skills in order to make him better equipped at strengthening his relationships with other children. I normally have always attended all speech sessions with Spence. I attend, in order to see how the speech path teaches him so that i may carry over this work at home. We work in partnership to meet his language goals. Now though, Spencer is going in on his own with this other boy. They are creating a special friendship and really do look forward to seeing one another. The other Mom and I, have used the time to chat, discuss the struggles, battles and hurdles we have faced around raising our boys. Even though her son's issues are slightly different, it still astonishes me when i hear her story. I see a woman who is completely committed to helping her son. I recognize a woman who just wants people to see her son as the special and caring boy that he is. A Mom who wants nothing for her son, other than his complete happiness. I see myself in her. Amazing how just a few weeks of chatting over coffee in the waiting room, we are already connected. I really am enjoying my Monday's with her, as we laugh, share and yes we have even had teary eyes together. Not quite ugly cry....but definitely some emotional moments. :) Strange, that this can occur with someone I barely know. Neither of us can ever believe it when the session is over. The time just flies by and before we know it, out come our bouncing boys all smiles and armed with that much more knowledge to get them by in the cruel world of 5 year old's. :)

As our boys work on being social, we have gained something as well. I have encountered yet another woman who knows what its like. While our kids work on speech in another room, their Mom's have a whole dialogue of their own going on in the room next door. Irony....gets me every time. Who knew that a 36 year old woman could benefit from a social skills group? All i do know, is that Monday's don't seem so bad, in fact, i am now really looking forward to the one's to come.

For Tricia.....if you read this, thanks for today.... I feel fortunate to have met you.