My class of SUPER HERO BOYS <3

Today is World Autism Day. This morning, before the boys got here, I went around and put labels on the faculty and staff. They have the ribbon on them and say Autism Awareness. The point was is for a day, instead of labeling our children, we should label ourselves in honor of them. We can often overlook what happens beyond "a label" no matter what it is.

In the belief that it is never too early to become a self-advocate, we talked about Autism as a class. I told the boys that Autism gives those special friends SUPER HERO abilities. Some of us have super sensitive hearing and can hear anything from far away as if it is through a mega-phone. That's an ability that not many others have.

Other friends have the SUPER HERO abilities to put things together and take them apart. They can figure things out and how to make things fit together perfectly and swiftly. That's an ability that not many others have.

Other friends have the SUPER HERO abilities to read, work with letters, sound things out and read well beyond their years and peers. They can find the beauty in the written language and devour books at a time and over and over again. That's an ability that not many others have.

I've watched these Super Hero boys grow exponentially over the past almost two years. They are more social, engage others more often, have become more tolerant of changes, more adventurous, and each day, can push anyone to their limits.

Sure, it's not all rainbows and miracles, but they are SUPER HERO boys. They can make anything better with a smile and some popcorn. They can make anything out of putty and blocks. Books can take on lives on their own and we can all be characters. Each one of them makes everyday full of endless possibilities and I thank you for sharing them with me, everyday.