School time can be an anxious time for many parents, and children too, especially for those with special needs.
For children with autism, they don't necessarily know how to talk about their feelings.
So when parents or friends ask Adrian Wood about her youngest son's school day, the mum-of-four always exclaims the same thing: "I don't know."
Because there are certain questions that the mum cannot answer, like how her son likes school, or how his day was in school.
The writer at Tales of an Educated Debutante explains: "I'm supposed to say, 'Great!', but I can't. I hope so, but I really have no idea. I wish I knew."
"It's awfully hard, this never knowing and wondering when your little person can't articulate their day or feelings."
The mum-of-four fondly remembers when her older kids began school, how they would run home and explain every single detail of their day.
From talking about things they learned, they made, their teachers, their new friends, it was a never ending list of events for Adrian, almost feeling like she was in class with them.
However, school life with her special needs son is much different: "Amos? Crickets. I never got a worrisome phone call and I wondered what he had for lunch or if he fell asleep."
Nonetheless, while Amos cannot unearth his emotions to his mum, he done something quite extraordinary on the way home one day which put Mum's mind at ease.
"I saw his face light up when he saw me from outside the window at his bus stop. He lit up and wriggled in excitement and when I made my way up the bus stairs, he cackled in delight and leapt into my arms."
"A kind kindergartener handed me his backpack and then he got down and climbed down the big old bus stairs. All by his own self. 'Bye bye, yellow school bus', he said."
"I think that means he liked it," concluded Adrian.
