Eddieās school has parent/ kid nights twice a year, switching up which parents attend with which kids. Based on the rotation, mother-son night arrives every other spring, and the last time I wrote about it was in 2013. Itās an event that I feel Eddie and I simply canāt miss.
Just like last time, Eddie and I dressed up for the official photo that gets taken and headed out the door. What was different from last time, was that I wasnāt nervous or afraid to attend. After a few years, the staff, students, and school families are well aware of Mr. Eddie and the unique perspective he brings to any event. There is always a risk of a meltdown, or unease due to his autistic natureā¦but itās a risk that doesnāt keep us sitting at home.
At Mother-Son Night, there are board games set-up so kids can have a good time playing with each other and their moms. Two years ago, we didnāt even attempt the game aspect of this night. This time, thanks to the staff at Eddieās school, we had a way to play along.
A couple weeks ago, while popping into Eddieās classroom, I caught him playing the game in this photo with a paraprofessional. She had taken an American Printing House (APH) board used for math, and instead used it for a game board. Velcro had been added to the bottom of a couple toys to become game pieces, and an APH item called Talking Glowdice was being used instead of traditional dice. The fact that the ādiceā talked really kept Eddieās attention. The “winner” was the first person that moved through every space.
After seeing the game in the classroom, I knew it would be great for Mother-Son night, so I made sure to bring it along. Eddie ended up playing with me for about 30 minutes, which was a big deal for him. While we played, another student even joined us for a bit, and Eddie didnāt mind sharing. I didnāt mind seeing some unforced peer interactionā¦in fact, it even had me tearing up. I wasnāt expecting any major insightā¦but found that by simply having an adapted game, the night was eventful.
After seeing this game (and others) created by the staff at school, Iām inspired to do more things like that at homeā¦especially now that heās showing an interest. So, help me out! What games have you adapted, or what have you found ready to go for kids with visual impairments? Iād like more family game nights at homeā¦and Iām hoping ideas from other parents will help make it happen.