It’s easy for a 9-year-old to become overwhelmed by the excitement of a busy birthday party—that is all the more true for my son, who is neurodivergent.
The afternoon started unremarkable when I asked, “So, do you want to go to the birthday party?” He looked up, and his initial uncertainty turned into a yes. With a firm nod, we got ready and ventured to our local community center where the birthday was being held.
As we arrived, my son carefully studied the environment. A number of children were playing in the open gym, but he chose to sit quietly on a bench, fully aware that socializing with others requires increased effort, often overrun by anxiety.
As I often do, I stayed back in case the noise became too much or the sensory elements were overwhelming. I then heard a voice shout from the doorway, “Pizza is here,” with that, it was like a stampede, with the children from the gym rushing to the adjacent party room filled with balloons, cake, and pizza.
I watched as my son moved from the gym bench and sat outside the party room. He had peaked through the door but left shortly after and continued sitting outside the room. “Do you want a slice of pizza?” I asked. ” No thanks. I’m fine.”
A 9-year-old boy wearing a yellow T-shirt swiftly left the party room and went to my son. “Why don’t you come in and eat with us?” Isaac looked up and sheepishly replied, “It’s just a bit too loud in there.”
Without saying another word, the young boy in the yellow T-shirt zipped back into the main party room where I saw him approach the mother of the birthday boy and say, “Do you mind if we turn off the Karaoke Machine? I really would like Isaac to eat with us, and it’s too loud for him.”
I stood in amazement. He then went to the front of the room and, in an authoritative voice toward the other children, said, “We are going to have to be a little quieter as Isaac is coming in to eat with us, and he finds this a bit loud.”
With another dash, he zipped back into the hall, I peaked around the corner, and the young boy in the yellow T-shirt looked up at me and said, “Don’t worry, I got this,” and with that, he took hold of my son with one arm and led him into the party room.
So today, I thank the boy in the yellow T-shirt for seeing my son and demonstrating to every child and adult what inclusivity looks like. Sometimes, in our daily busyness, we need to pause, look around, see who is sitting on the outside, and pull them in. Life is so much richer when we include each other.
by Jessica Wanner 
by Melissa Aiuppy 
by Sarah Lango 
