AUTISM CHANGES PERSPECTIVE: Lessons from a Little Theatre

The drum room

We (I) needed a break from routine yesterday, so since it was early out day for Jack, we headed to the local children’s museum. We have a collection of favorite rooms in the museum that we have to hit: the climbing area, the drums, the laundromat, the bank.

Yesterday, however, Jack surprised me when he ran into a different room: the theater. There is a small stage with curtains, lights, music, and a fully stocked backstage with props and costumes. Other kids were mid-costume change, dance moves, music pick…but Jack just walked on stage and I was shocked to see a performance suddenly spill out of him. He was completely uninhibited. Dance moves, a kind-of bow, and was that a small smile I saw?

He did this a few times and I stood there with tears close to spilling over. I was so proud of this little act he was willing to do that day. It was such a small and natural thing for other kids to run up and play pretend. For us—after years of Jack digging in his heels as I tried to coax him to participate in a fun, childish activity—this was big.

But there was another side to my emotional response, and I felt guilty as I realized it. 

I will admit that there was a time when I would have cried at this same scene, but for different reasons. There was a time that I would have cried sad tears for Jack, watching him awkwardly jump around in his own time zone and place. I would have been sad for the future and mourning what he ‘should have been’.

Autism changes perspective. And it helps us to see a new kind of potential.

As I watched him that day, I realized that the other parents next to me had no idea that there was a small breakthrough moment occurring just then. This boy was stretching his unknown personal rules, and this mom was another step into breaking down a ‘hidden agenda’ for how she thought her child’s life should look. I was thrilled for my Jack’s display of his brand of happiness. And I was proud of myself for accepting and embracing who he is.