This boy was always very special to me. He was only at the preschool for a couple of months, but he had a profound effect on me. Besides, Rain Man, I never actually met anyone living with Autism. It was over 10 years ago, so Autism was still rare.
I was young, maybe 20 at the time, so I wasn't stressed out that Jeffrey didn't talk to me or look me in the eye, I found it absolutely fascinating. I remember during nap time he would recite books out loud, word for word and he was only 3 or 4. He actually had memorized them, but it was amazing! I would look forward to seeing him on the playground, since he wasn't in my class, this was pretty much the only time I got to spend with him. I was just so intrigued and did everything I could to interact with him. Most of my attempts failed...but I kept trying. When I found out Jeffrey's mother was pulling him out of the preschool, I was very upset. However, it only challenged me to get through to him quicker.
It was Jeffrey's last day and we were on the playground. I was making one last attempt to connect with him. I remember it so vividly. We were in the middle of the playground and I was talking to him about this being his last day and how I was going to miss him. He looked straight at me and said, "I love you, Miss Bell." I almost dropped to my knees. I was smiling ear to ear. Jeffrey spoke, but never directly to anybody. I never felt so connected to anyone before.
I never forgot Jeffrey and still wonder how he is doing today. I actually applied for two Autism teaching positions because of him. I always felt like it was my destiny to work with children who had Autism....not exactly thinking it would be my own son. Working with Jeffrey and raising a son with Autism are two totally different entities, but I'll get into that another time. Until next time...
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