I felt like it was important for us to get out in the evenings after school,  partly because I wanted to tire him out but also because it kept him occupied with something else other than me. When we were at home he would be very demanding of my attention I suspect out of a feeling of insecurity. In that first term of his new school he had a lot to contend with, his teacher told me that she was not going  to give him homework because the school day was quite enough thank you, she felt that he was under a certain level of stress at school just trying to stay focused and coping with all the other stimuli surrounding him. So when the school day was done it was done and we had to fill the time before bed with something. We went  to shopping malls, we went to soft play areas,  we went to his favourite coffee shop where he would eat mini muffins, (that was something in his belly).

After a couple of months I signed him up for a dance class, not formal dance but free expression dance, where he could do what he wanted without any pressure to preform. At the very first lesson he did nothing, just stood in the corner with a sullen look on his face, but his teacher was completely unfazed, by the end of the lesson I think he saw how much the other children  had enjoyed them selves. For at the next lesson and there after he was champing at the bit to get involved. Unfortunately his lesson clashed with a speech and language appointment  which was to be once a month, on our first visit I explained to the speech and language therapist  that this was the case,  and she replied to this saying "I think he would get much more benefit from a dance class,  than with me. I  would be happy for him to attend the classes rather than come here." I have to say I was a little confused but it started me thinking about the deeper aspects of autism and it's effect on my son. It accured to me that my son was probably very aware of words and even how to use them but he was not inspired to communicate in this way. Dancing on the other hand inspired a deeper reaction,  it got him excited,  he saw the response it evoked in others.She was a unique lady his dance teacher.

That being the case why then was this not available to all children, why as a parent was I having to go and find these things. Why was a highly qualified professional not doing something about turning her speech and language therapy sessions into a dance class. Was she thinking that every fourth Friday she was now going to be able to get home early ...