We're now in August and can feel the summer slipping away. Asher has day camps until school starts. It's a good time to look back on (checks notes) five weeks of sleepaway camp.
Alas, things started a bit bumpy, as Asher got sent him at the end of his second week of camp. He had had behavioral issues at that camp two years ago, pre-medication, when he was only seven years old. Last year, a year older and now on meds, he did just fine. And Week 1 this summer also went without incident. So it was a bit of a shock to get the call that I'd have to pick him up early.
Progress, as is often the case, is not necessarily in a straight line. We hope that, with additional supports, Asher can avoid future situations, which it's not hard to dread what such incidents might look like when he is older and is in less accommodating places.
Thankfully, the ensuing three weeks of sleepaway camp, at two other places, went fine. Not without bumps, but to be expected when you bring boys of his age together. We tried to provide positive reinforcement for these weeks, through affirmations and Lego sets (the latter being a welcome thing to putter around with upon returning home after being away for so long).
In life, we will invariably face situations that cause us to lose our cool. Self-control is so important, and not easy for someone with Asher's special needs. More so than his siblings, being able to maintain calm and not lash out may be of critical importance for Asher. This summer represents another set of experiences that he can hopefully learn and grow from.
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