Our bubble burst in the best of ways today. Will and Jeff’s day program began remote learning via Zoom. Yes!

Supported by my bestest two helpers, the guys attended Morning Meeting first. Typical day and date orienting – today is _____, the number of the day is __, what was yesterday, what is tomorrow. Season. Weather. What do we wear.

Will’s mesmerized by the same image on the laptop as on the screen. Jeff’s attentional challenges meant he needed lots of redirects but eventually seemed to understand.

As always spending time with the guys gives me a new perspective. On their profound communications challenges. Their very light vocal volume, which complicated Zoom’s sharing hard-won expressive language with the day program staff. Their auditory processing, always delayed. Mostly I was stunned at the complete lack of visual supports offered by the staff. True Zooming is foreign to both teacher and learner, but the experience stirred the usual Bad Mother feelings. Have the staff been this clueless as to Will in particular and his far greater capabilities when presented a picture symbol?

Dashing upstairs to retrieve the iPad with its TouchChat software, I started prompting the guys to use the device to speak words. To enable louder sound but mostly to prompt the dialogue and speed communications. We quickly supplemented it with the usual Velcro-backed picture symbols, which also helped.

His bean-bag chair tuffet a point of safety, Will stared at these people he knew on TV, and I could see the wheels turning. Jeff was silly and more amused – one of his staffers was there though his face was smaller on the screen. Regardless it held promise.

The rain let up a bit even though the clouds mostly obscured the sun through the slivers of casement windows in the basement. Spring is here, and all green and growing things are face-up to find the sun.