Parties and Hermione.
Yesterday, I sniffled into my tissue with emotion, as we watched Hermione being enveloped into the class fold at a classmate's birthday party.
You see, it's not always easy for Hermione to slip easily into party mode. There are a number of variables that make it harder for her to work out what to do and how to behave in these situations.
There are also sensory factors, such as noise and lighting, and the fact that generalisation is not easy for Hermione.
She may know your face, but seeing you out of context may render her confused or uneasy.
But yesterday, the magical nature of her class mates brought pure joy to us as parents of a little girl with additional needs.
Did we have tears at the start?
Yes.
Did we have to sit with Hermione for a while, as she squirmed a little in our arms as she made sense of the room and the surroundings?
Yes.
Did we, as we often do, have to shadow Hermione around the play equipment at first, as she grips our hands tightly for reasurance?
Yes.
But ten minutes later, as she became more confident to tackle the soft play equipment, two classmates reached out for her hands, and they guided her around the equipment, all the while, smiling and waving, and we stood back, in awe of the gentle kindness of her classmates.
Another approached her and signed beautifully, 'Hello Hermione' and I could see that she knew her new friends speak the language of both Makaton and kindness.
We took a breath and for the first time, stood back at a party and let the beauty of acceptance and kindness play out before our eyes.
It was the best feeling in the world.
She is part of the gang. She is Hermione.
