It is the simple things in life that make Mr. Boo the happiest. He is not a fancy guy. The other night his PCA A texted me. She told me that Boo was super patient and eager to try new things. My curiosity was piqued. When I got home I was greeted at the door by a Boo Bear with a maniacal grin. “Hey Mr. Boo, what’s up?”, I asked. He grinned widely and waved his hands at my face. His nails were a bright electric blue color. “Ooh”, I said and proceeded to make a fuss over them. He noticeably preened and then strutted off to his room, Ipad in tow, making happy noises. A told me that he had requested to have his nails painted and had chosen the color himself. I have to admit, the kid has good taste in colors. His outfit was flawless. The amazing part was that he held still for the polish to be applied and for it to dry. Anyone who knows Mr. Boo knows that he stims all the time, and his major stim is some serious hand flapping. At any rate, he held still for it and he was very proud.
Several nights later I came home and Mr. Boo and A were bustling about the house preparing to go out. Apparently, Boo had requested to go to a basketball game but there were none on campus that night. So, A looked up the local high school team, and low and behold, they were hosting a home game. Off they went to the high school. Midway through the evening, I got a picture from the two of them. Boo is clearly at his ease, decked out in jeans, a t-shirt and a hat. He looks every inch the high school student, which of course he is. He decided that he liked high school games even better because there were boys playing and they were exactly his age. Though he may be non verbal and go to a special school, Boo, at heart, is still a teenager and wants to fit in. Every kid should have that opportunity.
Upon his arrival home from the game, Boo was euphoric. He bounced the length of the house, up and down, and warbled and chirped. He giggled at the slightest occasion. Sadly, his nail polish had chipped off. We examined it and decided that the next night we would try again but this time go with purple. This satisfied him and he went giggling off to his bath and eventually to bed.
I will write a separate blog on this soon, but I believe that it is PCAs who make the world go round. Boo’s PCAs are an incredible blessing. They have exposed him to so much, from basketball games to movies, to hiking and tubing, and just being out in public and being a member of society. Everyone wants to be included in fun things and Mr. Boo’s PCAs are a ticket into a far greater world than I ever imagined for him. So, strut your stuff at basketball games Mr. Boo and flash your brightly colored nails. I remain your biggest fan and advocate. Love, Mom.
Harriet's Hedgehogs and Autism Advocacy 