Matt Turns 7

Today we had a party for Matt. As with any sort of event that we have to accommodate Matt in, we had to make sure the party would be enjoyable for his special needs. We also wanted to make it meaningful. The party had to be short, no more that an hour and a half at most. We also had to have some sort of way to divert his attention away from the music being played on loudspeakers. He actually loves music, but wants to always be in control of what's playing. We've often had to watch him and warn him beforehand at parties not to "turn off the CD". He often gets away with it anyway and that manages to upset some party hosts. And then we wanted the celebration to be meaningful. So key things were that it had to be short, meaningful and the music had to be something he wouldn't want to "turn off".

As a way of accomplishing what we set out to do, we invited kids from the Children's Joy Foundation. We set it up so that guests were informed ahead of time that instead of gifts for our son, they should bring along any donations they would have. We wanted to give these kids a good time and at the same time we promoted their particular organization.

They did share a wonderful gift for Matt. They played songs for Matt, live! Matt had no way to "turn off" the music. He sat attentively while watching these kids perform. In a very rare moment, he behaved so calmly.

Overall, the party was a success. We were able to gather about 10 small bags of clothes and school supplies. A few friends also shared cash for the kids. There were also a few guests who asked if they could have the kids perform at their events as well. So we were able to make it enjoyable for Matt and at the same time meaningful. It was moving to see smiles on these kids' faces. It felt like we were making a big difference, even if just for a day.