Celebrating another small victory for my eldest son today. Being on the autism spectrum, our lifetime goal has been to 'mainstream' him as much as possible. The past 8 years have been a challenge for him with tons of therapy each week, private schools, physical development, etc.
We've built a strong network and a strong team, but he has worked his tail off through countless frustrations, challenges and obstacles.
Well ... Today he enters a public elementary school for the first time starting 3rd grade. He walked in a bit shy but confident. Wasn't sure we'd ever get to this day, but very proud of him. Kid even crushed his testing over the summer and qualifies for Advanced Academic Placement.
Today's not the finish line, but definitely a hurdle that he conquered. Now I just hope he finds a quality group of dudes to help navigate the social dynamics of school.