When Timothy was just two years old he was diagnosed with nonverbal autism. That means every noise, distraction, and emotional stimuli is a lot for the young man to take in.
He’s 7-years-old now and Timothy is well liked in school, however, his condition has meant he was forced to turn down many birthday party invitations.
Recently, he received a very special birthday note that brought his mom, Tricia, to tears.
[My son] Carter sat beside Timothy at school and he always talks about him (: I really hope he can come. We are renting a bounce castle that we can attach a small bounce slide at the bottom. We will also have water balloons & water guns. Maybe Timothy can come earlier in the day if it would be too much with the whole class. Let me know so we can make it work.
Tricia was moved that another parent would make an extra effort to include her son:
“Yes, I was shocked that someone would take not only the time to write the note but to be considerate enough to include him with all of his difficulties. It was a wonderful moment … We parents of the ‘specials’ know only too well the hurts our kids feel when they are left out of the social gatherings relative to childhood. Organized sports, play dates, sleepovers, and yes – the dreaded birthday parties,” she says. “I want only one thing for our kids – for all kids really, and that is inclusion. All they want is to feel included and accepted for who and what they are – that different is okay … it’s just different.”
Carter’s mom says her invitation was a no-brainer:
“Carter had always talked about him, so I didn’t think twice when he wanted him at the party,” Peikos says. “The only question was, ‘How could we make it work so that Timothy could come and have a great time just like anyone else?’ He came early. He went right into the bounce castle with Carter and they had a great time.” Peikos says she never realized just how important those simple words, “Let’s make it work,” would be. “These few words allowed Tricia and I to develop an amazing friendship. I love knowing that one note gave her the ability to go on another day as she continues life with Timothy.”
