Besides preschool, Dubbers does not spend a lot of time with “typically developing” children. His therapy is 90% one-to-one. This summer we chose to maximize his therapy by having him attend his therapeutic center all day rather then split his time at a summer day camp. I did enroll him in a weekly class at Gymtime called Gym/Chef which he attended with a therapist. This class was adorable and perfect. He was around typical kids his age, participated in fun physical activity in the gym; and made tasty treats in the chef part of the class.
We also planned several trips and/or weekends with good friends and their children. Not only is it important for Phil and I to spend quality time with our closest friends, but equally so for Dubbers to develop similar friendships. All of our friends have “typically developing” children, so we knew these visits had the potential to be very beneficial to Dubbers.
As you may have read in my friend’s previous post, “Our Days with Dubbers,” her three children immediately welcomed Dubbers into their group without a second thought. Dubbers had no trepidation. Before we knew it he was frolicking around the house and jumping on the bed with his three new buddies. Being in Hilton Head, our main activity was enjoying the beach. For the first time, Dubbers went into the ocean with no anxiety or fear. I was shocked at how calm and intrigued he was by the ocean. He jumped the waves with “P”, attempted paddling on a boogie board like “F” and splashed and played with “K”. He had three fantastic peers to watch and follow.
Our next trip was spending time after Disney with more college friends. They have two daughters, one being 16 months and the other just a few weeks younger then Dubbers. With the baby, Dubbers instantly connected and was able to generalize his skills (learned in therapy with pretend-play) of caring for a baby. He constantly embraced “baby N” and was noticeably more gentle and affectionate. With her older sister, Dubbers joined in on her nightly dance parties! She is also very verbal and constantly spoke to and engaged with Dubbers, forcing him to interact or be prompted to do so. This genuine and spontaneous act by another four year old is worth just as much as any therapy session.
And finally, we made a weekend visit to Connecticut to see more best friends from college and their two daughters (M – 4 and B – 2). The visit included great food, a fun day at the beach, and more dancing. Dubbers and “M” may only see each other 3-4 times a year but continue to pick up where they left off each time. What happened this past visit was extra special. After dinner, Dubbers was completely engrossed and amused by “M” as she repeatedly played a game of “Boo!” each time provoking more excitement and laughter from Dubbers. Again, you cannot re-create something more authentic then this.
This summer we learned how important and special it is to spend time with friends who we do not get to see as often as we would like (due to distance). It maintains relationships to the people most special to us. They are not only part of our “Support Team,” but able to provide true experiences and new relationships for Dubbers. We will make it a point to continue these types of trips going forward.
