what will happen to them?

{via}

i can't help but wonder about the kids i work with each day.

when they go to kindergarten, will they make friends? young children are usually forgiving but teasing and outcasting starts young. will these kids be quickly turned down by other youngsters? what about in middle school? like max in the picture above, will they keep to themselves because it's easier than making friends?

max tries so hard to make eye contact, say his name and follow the rules that he is presented with but still he struggles. will the kids struggle with rules, or be noticed so easily because they are different?

i generally feel hopeful about what i'm doing. i know that the hours of work i spend each day 1:1 with a child translate into better social skills, speech, play skills and academic skills. sometimes the other kids in the non-aba classrooms don't even notice that my kid is different from them somehow.  i know that i'm making a concrete difference in a child's life and i truly love that.

i can only hope that in 10 years that they will be playing with the kids in the playground, instead of reading a book alone like max is in this picture.