Adventure Boy is 10 years old today! He has made amazing gains behaviorally, socially and with language this past year. So much so, that we are going to try a themed birthday party with friends, which hasn’t been a possibility in the past because of some of his special needs. I can’t wait! While the elements of the party are the same as any child’s birthday, here are some specific ways that we are tailoring it to be fun and promote social and behavioral success for Adventure Boy (AB):
*The theme and location. AB loves animals of all kinds, but his favorites are horses and dogs. His party will be held in a heated barn at the ranch where he receives horse therapy during the summer. This will allow him to see his “horse friends” as well as provide him with a calming activity. I noticed this summer that any difficult activity I wanted to try with him (like a Walmart run) was better after a therapy session because he was very calm and happy. Since socialization can be difficult for him at times, we hope the horses with help with his success.
*Guests. We are keeping it to a relatively small group of people who know him very well. This is both for him and for us. For AB, it will allow him the greatest possibility of having appropriate social interactions. For us, it gives us the freedom to be ourselves as a family. There will be no need to explain AB’s behavior, even if he melts down, because these kids and their parents are so familiar with his needs. They also are aware of the possibility of elopement because Adventure Boy runs at times. He will be safer with people who are aware of this and the precautions we generally use.
*The food. AB is making great gains in expanding the foods he is willing to eat. One food he likes is pizza. So, we will be doing pizza, just like many kid’s birthday parties. However, he likes his pizza the day after it has been cooked cold from the fridge. I will order a small pizza the night before and refrigerate it so he can have his cold pizza while everyone else eats it hot.
*The gifts. AB plays with very few toys the way other kids do. One exception is Nerf guns, so he’ll definitely get one. In general, though, he prefers things that dangle or spin, can be split into small parts and dropped, and his favorite: Bubble wrap. He calls it “Pop Pop.” I am so excited to give him big bails of pop pop in various sizes of bubbles. He will be over the top happy. We’ll wait until near the end though, or that will be the end of AB’s participation in other activities. “Pop pop” will be the only thing he can focus on.
*The activities. AB struggles to play many group games because he doesn’t understand the rules and/or becomes overwhelmed. Therefore, we will keep group games to just one, Duck Duck Goose, which he loves. After that, we are going to do stations including; a painting craft, legos, cupcake and cookie decorating, coloring, a beanbag toss, and a sensory station designed for AB. This will help us in a few ways. First, it will break the kids up into very small groups. AB rarely engages in interactive play, but he will participate side by side with another child. Next, it allows for a sensory center tailored to him if he becomes overwhelmed and needs a break. Last but not least, the centers were chosen with the interests of the other children in mind so they can enjoy themselves in the midst of the accommodations we are making for AB.
We are so grateful for the wonderful friends who are supporting our family by participating in AB’s party and for the staff and volunteers at Helping with Horsepower at Reclamation-Ranch who always go the extra mile to help him succeed. This will be his best birthday yet!
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