Armed with a Sudoku puzzle and a crossword puzzle to keep
myself occupied and slightly distracted, I sat in the waiting room last
Thursday afternoon while Alex was engaged in music therapy. This change of
setting was different for both of us, as usually Alex’s music therapist comes
to our home, and I sit in a nearby room where I can eavesdrop on their session.
With the therapy room at the back of the building from where I was sitting in
the front of the office, I didn’t know how things were going, but I hoped for
the best, praying all would go smoothly.
A few weeks ago, Alex’s music therapist apologetically told us that his company wanted clients to start having sessions in their office instead of at home. Because Alex has been doing remarkably well lately, his music therapist didn’t want to make any changes that might cause setbacks in his progress. Knowing that he was just following company policy, I reassured him that Alex would adjust to the changes and be fine. Moreover, I suggested that maybe the change in setting would be good for Alex.
Wanting to make the transition as easy as possible, the music therapist and I discussed with Alex that only the place would change; everything else would remain the same. His sessions would meet the same day at the same time, would last the same amount of time, and would follow the same procedures. I told Alex that we would take along the clipboard and notepad they use every week for his therapist to write down the songs they sing as well as a deck of cards so that they can play the game War as a reward for a good session. Also, with his therapist’s approval, I assured Alex that I would bring orange juice in a sport bottle for him to drink during the session there, just as he does at home. I suspect that he thought his therapist and I were overdoing the pep talk, as he seemed quite calm and unfazed by the change of venue. Nonetheless, his therapist told me that if sessions didn’t go well at the office, he would talk to his supervisor about keeping Alex’s sessions at home.
Sitting in the waiting room alone, I thought about how much of life revolves around waiting and wondering. Especially with special needs children, parents spend a great deal of time in waiting rooms of doctors and therapists, wondering what the professionals will tell them about their children’s conditions. In addition, parents of special needs children often wait a long time for their children to master skills, to achieve milestones, and to overcome obstacles. In short, we spend countless hours waiting for our children to get better.
When I find myself waiting impatiently, I need to look no further than Alex’s example because he has become amazingly calm about waiting. In the past week or so, he has sat patiently waiting for two Christmas concerts to begin and for two basketball games to start. Because we usually arrive early to get seats that are best for Alex, we often wind up sitting a while before the activity actually starts. Nonetheless, he doesn’t seem to mind waiting; he’s just happy to be where he wants to be.
At the end of Alex’s music therapy session, both he and his therapist returned to the waiting room smiling, his therapist giving me a “thumbs up” signal. Furthermore, his therapist told me Alex did “fantastic,” despite any concerns we had about how he would adapt. His therapist started laughing as he told me that Alex had wanted to know where the bathroom was in the building. When he showed Alex the location, opened the door, and asked if he needed to use the restroom, Alex bluntly told him, “No, it’s too stinky in there!” To Alex, overpowering air freshener would be as offensive as any bathroom smells might be, so I’m not sure what he found to be so off-putting. Nevertheless, he won’t likely be asking to use the bathroom during session.
With one good session behind him, we pray for future success as Alex continues having music therapy at the office instead of at home. However, I do have to admit that I’ll miss eavesdropping on their conversations and listening to them sing together. Nonetheless, his therapist and I are relieved and delighted and thankful that Alex handled the new situation so well and are hopeful that he will continue to make good progress there.
A few weeks ago, Alex’s music therapist apologetically told us that his company wanted clients to start having sessions in their office instead of at home. Because Alex has been doing remarkably well lately, his music therapist didn’t want to make any changes that might cause setbacks in his progress. Knowing that he was just following company policy, I reassured him that Alex would adjust to the changes and be fine. Moreover, I suggested that maybe the change in setting would be good for Alex.
Wanting to make the transition as easy as possible, the music therapist and I discussed with Alex that only the place would change; everything else would remain the same. His sessions would meet the same day at the same time, would last the same amount of time, and would follow the same procedures. I told Alex that we would take along the clipboard and notepad they use every week for his therapist to write down the songs they sing as well as a deck of cards so that they can play the game War as a reward for a good session. Also, with his therapist’s approval, I assured Alex that I would bring orange juice in a sport bottle for him to drink during the session there, just as he does at home. I suspect that he thought his therapist and I were overdoing the pep talk, as he seemed quite calm and unfazed by the change of venue. Nonetheless, his therapist told me that if sessions didn’t go well at the office, he would talk to his supervisor about keeping Alex’s sessions at home.
Sitting in the waiting room alone, I thought about how much of life revolves around waiting and wondering. Especially with special needs children, parents spend a great deal of time in waiting rooms of doctors and therapists, wondering what the professionals will tell them about their children’s conditions. In addition, parents of special needs children often wait a long time for their children to master skills, to achieve milestones, and to overcome obstacles. In short, we spend countless hours waiting for our children to get better.
When I find myself waiting impatiently, I need to look no further than Alex’s example because he has become amazingly calm about waiting. In the past week or so, he has sat patiently waiting for two Christmas concerts to begin and for two basketball games to start. Because we usually arrive early to get seats that are best for Alex, we often wind up sitting a while before the activity actually starts. Nonetheless, he doesn’t seem to mind waiting; he’s just happy to be where he wants to be.
At the end of Alex’s music therapy session, both he and his therapist returned to the waiting room smiling, his therapist giving me a “thumbs up” signal. Furthermore, his therapist told me Alex did “fantastic,” despite any concerns we had about how he would adapt. His therapist started laughing as he told me that Alex had wanted to know where the bathroom was in the building. When he showed Alex the location, opened the door, and asked if he needed to use the restroom, Alex bluntly told him, “No, it’s too stinky in there!” To Alex, overpowering air freshener would be as offensive as any bathroom smells might be, so I’m not sure what he found to be so off-putting. Nevertheless, he won’t likely be asking to use the bathroom during session.
With one good session behind him, we pray for future success as Alex continues having music therapy at the office instead of at home. However, I do have to admit that I’ll miss eavesdropping on their conversations and listening to them sing together. Nonetheless, his therapist and I are relieved and delighted and thankful that Alex handled the new situation so well and are hopeful that he will continue to make good progress there.
“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes;
wait patiently for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14
3 comments:
Great news. I think this a wonderful thing now that Alex is getting out more and more. So happy for him!!
Baby steps for some parents are milestones for us. So glad it went well. Keep up the wonderful work Alex, mom and dad.
Thanks for the kind comments! We are delighted with his progress!
Fondly,
Pam
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