My First Full Session as Communication Partner

Yesterday I did my first full spelling session as communication partner for Sam. The only other time I've done it was just for a few minutes back in May and he spelled "BIG" for me. :) I have a lot of room for growth and I need a lot of practice, but I look forward to Sam being able to communicate directly with me. I'm proud that I used a lesson that I wrote myself (about patriarchal blessings) and that I had the courage to try something new that is not easy. One highlight was that Sam spelled the name of our bishop without me telling him how. Another was that he spelled the definition of "transcribe" without me telling him. He spelled:

KEVIN SMITH

PATRIARCHAL

PRIESTHOOD

GOD

CITY

SPIRIT

SACRED

BIBLE

WRITE

The other part of the story is that I was so scared to do this. I was in no rush to learn how to be CP myself, but his main teacher developed an injury that makes it so she can't physically hold the boards and, Lisa is going on vacation for a month. I didn't want Sam to go so long without spelling so I knew it was time for me to jump into the deep end. My friends were very reassuring to me. I randomly received a phone call the day before from a fellow autism mom who had a question about something else and we ended up talking about spelling to communicate and she gave me absolutely inspired encouragement. She had been in a program with me years ago that was very traumatizing and demoralizing to me and she understood why I was so scared. Having her "randomly" call was such a God Wink.

The other thing that happened was a ran into a guy at Sprouts who I had met months ago when I was there with Lori and Sam. The only reason I was there with Sam was because Lori was with me, and the only reason I was there with Lori was to spend time with Lori on our Monday get-together and have a place where we could go with Sam since he was off school. Lori is no longer on this earth so that was an emotional moment yesterday to run into Corey and recall that when I met him the first time, she was alive. We were in the checkout line and he asked about Sam's disability and told about his own, a brain injury from I think a surfing accident. I was very, very touched by his interest. So yesterday I talked to THREE strangers in Sprouts, something I rarely do. The first was a little autistic girl I could hear before I saw her with her fidget spinner and I made sure to say hello and I told the woman with her I was an autism mom, too (although I used more vague words) and she said she was the nanny and I told her she was an awesome nanny. I wanted her to know that she was not alone and I especially wanted the little girl to know that I saw her and knew she was in there. Then I saw Corey stocking shelves in the aisle where I was getting Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and I stopped to talk to him. I thanked him for being so friendly to Sam that day. I told him about him spelling to communicated. Corey listened so patiently and with such interest. As we finished our conversation, I again thanked him, and my eyes were a little teary. He looked me in the eye and said, "Ma'am, are you crying?" I replied, "Yes, but it's from gratitude." And he said, "I need to give you a hug." And he gave me a really long hug.

I really think Lori was cheering me on yesterday, like she always has done and is continuing to do. <3