SOCIAL GOOD: Best Buddies International Is Changing the World…One Friendship at a Time

SOCIAL GOOD: Best Buddies International Is Changing the World…One Friendship at a Time

The author holding her son after completing the Best Buddies 5K in August 2012.

I hold my breath as my five-year old son zooms around the playground.  There are children laughing and squealing all around us.  Games of tag and the sound of ring-around-the-rosey sung in unison fill the evening air.

My son continues to run in circles as if he is the only child on the playground.  Another child approaches him and catches his attention.  He stops.  My heart starts pounding and I convince myself to wait and watch before jumping in to help him navigate this brief social encounter. It’s over as quickly as it began and he is back to zooming around the playground.

Some of the moms and other children begin to stare.  Most smile politely and continue on with what they were doing and I sink back into my seat, wondering what the future will hold for my son.  This is a typical day in the life of my five-year old son who is diagnosed with autism and cognitive delay.  While my other typically developing five-year old son is eager to play with friends on the playground, my son with special needs is satisfied to stay within his comfort zone of isolation.

Could you imagine a world without friendship? I certainly could not.

So one day I asked myself if my son is truly happy playing alone with only brief and superficial social encounters.  Doesn’t he really crave friendship like his brother?  Although my son is limited verbally, a single conversation was enough to clarify that he did indeed want to make friends.  As his mother, I was determined to help him do it. (more…)

Lauren @Hike.Blog.Love. (USA)

Lauren is a lover of nature, an avid hiker and mama to two boys adopted from across the globe—one who happens to have autism. She is passionate about special needs adoption and the great outdoors. You can find Lauren blogging about all of her adventures at "http://hikebloglove.com", Hike Blog Love. where she hopes to inspire others to get outdoors and explore. She fiercely believes that adventure is for all.

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