CHOIR CONCERT WITHOUT NEEDING AN AIDE TO HELP!

The boys had their spring choir concert.  Because of scheduling difficulties, the school could not provide an aide for them.  Other years, they've had a school aide help them get on/off the stage and even stand with them up on the risers during the performance.

I volunteered to sit in the row behind them in case an emergency came up, but the plan was their fellow choir students would assist them on/off the stage.

It worked perfectly!  Ben needed no assistance at all.  Jonah needed a prompt when it was time to leave the stage.  And during one song, he started to struggle with staying standing.  Jonah gets very scared when he is "up high"- being on stage looking down at the crowd.  He started to get scared.  I was thinking I would have to go up on stage to help him when his classmate told him to just sit down on the riser.  Jonah followed this direction and finished the song sitting down.  

How great it is to watch the boys' peers come around and support our guys without giving it a second thought!  

That is Down Syndrome awareness in practice, not just in theory.  The kids at school are learning and aware of the boys differences, but then also learning that inclusion can happen despite those differences.  That's beautiful to watch!  

It was proud evening to watch our boys and their fellow choir members!

And shout out to the school staff who have created this environment.  We greatly appreciate it.