Preschool Fair

One of the organizations that is helping us navigate these waters called "Special Needs" is The Children's Link Society. Yesterday they held a fair where all the preschools and specialized services came together in one place for parents to easily make connections and talk with people.

I was nervous about what I would find. Everything else on this journey has been very overwhelming and exhausting and has taken time to work through. This was overwhelming by just the sheer volume of organizations represented, but it was an incredible experience as well.

What I wasn't expecting was the common bond I shared with these strangers that I have a child that needs some extra help in a lot of the areas of her life. It was easy to get discouraged by having to relay my story and my daughter's issues to every single representative, as well as the standard "what does your organization offer". But once I separated myself from the emotional aspect of it and thought of it as a task, it was pretty easy (even if it was very tiring!).

I didn't expect to have an awesome conversation with someone from the school board to learn about what would be available to Ellie if she ever enters the "typical" school system. I didn't expect to find a special needs school 10 minutes from my home that would be available to Ellie if we don't feel she's ready for the typical school system. But most of all, I didn't expect to find the instant bond that was shared with each Mom-representative as we spoke of our children with special needs.

There were parents pushing highly visible special children around in strollers, and there were parents like me that were on our own. But once we started talking, it didn't matter that one child was Autistic, one child had Downs or one child had a Developmental Delay - we were parents with a common, unknown and often scary reality that our kids are different. Surprisingly, it was refreshing to be among these parents and make these connections.

I thought it was amusing that the title of the day was a "Fair" as fair's are typically full of fun, screaming rides and incredibly delicious and un-healthy food. But it was a fair! There were screaming kids, a table of coffee and desserts, and we are all on a very fun ride with our own wonderful child, whether they need extra help or not!

Love your kid - that's all that matters.