During my daughter’s junior year of high school, she was still at her public school. She has Down syndrome, and by that point she spent most of her time in a substantially separate classroom. But she had enough social awareness to understand something really painful: the typically developing kids weren’t truly her friends. She knew they saw her as “less than,” and she was able to articulate that to us, to her teachers, and to administrators in our district.
It left her feeling deeply sad and lonely.
That summer, we sent her to a program at Riverview School on Cape Cod. And while she was there, she called us and said, “This is my new life. This is my new school. I want to be here.”
So, we listened.
She attended Riverview for her senior year and stayed there through age 22.
Riverview has a beautiful auditorium where they put on shows. The students perform musical numbers, sometimes dancing, sometimes singing solo, sometimes in groups. And so many of these kids have spent countless hours in their bedrooms, singing into hairbrushes, pretending they’re superstars.
My daughter was absolutely one of those kids.
So, for her to stand on that stage at Riverview, with a voice that leans much closer to tone-deaf than pitch perfect, and sing at the top of her lungs in an auditorium where everyone is cheering her on, supporting her, and celebrating her in the most judgment-free way possible… it is nothing short of magical.
If you have ever been to a concert or show where a group of kids with disabilities and their parents are all gathered together, just celebrating the freedom to belt out whatever sound comes out of your mouth to your favorite song, you know how special that kind of joy is.
That feeling is something we strive to create every day at Simply Social Kids.
SSK exists because every child deserves a place where they can show up exactly as they are and not feel “less than.”
A place where being different is not something to hide or fix.
A place where kids can practice social skills without being shamed, teased, or judged.
Simply Social Kids is not about turning kids into someone else. It is about giving them a space that feels like that Riverview stage.
Is your child ready to make the steps toward friendship? Let’s schedule a free trial!
If you have a child/teen/young adult with has difficulty making friends, contact us for a free trial at 978-764-2758 or schedule an intake https://calendly.com/simplysocialkids/schedule-free-trial
