When you work with children and parents as closely as we do, you can’t help but become part of the family. One of the mothers I had the pleasure of working with was always present during my sessions. She wanted to know how to run the programs and work with her child when we weren’t present. She literally sat 5 feet from our work area, completely engaged with what I was doing. She knew the ins and outs of our programs and the reactions her son typically had and the skills he displayed.
One day while we were working, this little guy not only completed the task at hand but also looked directly at me. For this child, eye contact was minimal and like gold to us. So as he looked at me and then looked away, I looked to his mom. We both had tears in our eyes and couldn’t contain our excitement and happiness. It’s a moment I’ll never forget — in fact I think of it often.
It’s those moments, the ones where you look to the parent and can see how grateful they are. That’s my fuel, along with the progress I see in the child. It’s inspiring!
by Sarah Vayo, BCBA
