Dear Editor,
My son Ari just celebrated his seventh birthday, the fourth celebration we’ve had on Bowen since moving here in 2013. Moving to Bowen Island was the best decision we could have made, hands down. Just a month after moving here Ari was diagnosed with Autism.
Living close to nature has been so beneficial to him. He can spend the majority of his days in nature, walking the forest trails feeling regulated and happy. The rest of the time he can spend relaxed in his home sanctuary studying vocabulary or music or whatever he’s into that day.
He still has weekly visits to the city for therapy and he’s always eager to go but he has huge challenges in populated spaces. On Bowen we can have outings on a smaller scale with less of the triggers of the urban bustle. He still gets very tense and has difficulty with the sensory overload mixing with his own excitement. Going anywhere means he’s a hair-trigger from melting down. Lately, he has been interested in business cards.
It might seem like a strange pre-occupation, but it’s been a wonderful way to teach reading (which, he can do at grade level), practice articulation, and make connections to his community. One morning a few weeks ago Ari woke up and asked if we could go to Out of the Blue. It went a little something like “I want to go to Out of the Blue – I have go get moon business card.” This became our community connection for the day. In order to obtain the sought after card he would have to enter a new space (this is extremely difficult for him), make contact with a community stranger (lots of sensory and emotional overload with social encounters), and use his words (this takes a combination of self-regulation and correlation with me, Mom, in order to organize his nervous system despite the aforementioned difficulties). Over the course of the last couple of months a big part of Ari’s Summer learning has been this type of community connection through business cards.
I’m usually too busy facilitating the encounter to offer much of an explanation at the time. Bowen, you have been most patient and gracious with your [blind] acceptance of this rich educational exchange. It might have just been an odd few minutes of your day but I assure you it has been most helpful for my little boy’s development.
On the day of his birthday I brought him to the Bowen Island Public Library to get his first library card. He was on his best behaviour and honoured the quiet rule of libraries. He used his words and became a self-advocate while maintaining his please and thank yous. He was able to keep regulated and write his name on the back of the card. I couldn’t have been more proud of my son and the community we call home.
So, thank you Bowen Island businesses and residents for taking the time out of your day to help this little soul find his way. Each little card in his collection is tied to a special memory of the social exchange within its acquisition. These memories will be truly foundational for him.
With gratitude,
Rebecca Smith
