Waiting for Mick to park the car, we wait outside The Majestic, site of the Dallas Special Ed prom, also known as the Spring Ball.
It was a Special Education Spring Ball. This idea is long overdue. Inclusion is a wonderful thing in theory, but in practice, kids with special needs can end up feeling like wallflowers, end of feeling like they'll never fit in and never belong.
The theme of the ball was "A Fairy Tale Ending" and this was truly a joyous event. There were kids there without disabilities. The peer tutors, who are great kids, not only did a lot of the work, but helped with the actual celebrating. Half the crowd consisted of those of us who support these special needs kids: parents, siblings, teachers, aides, and family friends. It would have tortured and mortified the so-called "normal" kids. Not so at this dance.
That's because these kids were dazzled by the decorations, the music, and their own transformations. Whether you're a girl with a genius IQ, a popular cheerleader, a girl in a wheelchair, or a 13-year-old autistic girl, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DRESS!
I won't go on and on (just for a change of pace), but Sam really had a good time. She had the dress and got to wear her 3-inch pumps (which she can run and dance in).
What I loved about this dance was that it really was all about these kids and they were free and safe to b who they really are. Which to the ignorant what they appear to be is a little weird. To those of us who love them, they really are beautiful and special, in the best sense of the word.
Miranda, great daughter and sister that she is, came along too, as long as I was agreeable to her bringing the book that she is reading, and do you really think that I of all people would argue with that? I keep a book in my purse for "just in case" moments. And Miranda pulled her head out of the book several times to help Sam with this or that including getting her to quit lifting up her dress.
It was a sensory delight for Sam with all the beautiful fairytale-like decorations, loud music, soft lighting, and a disco ball. In fact, for many of the kids with sensory issues, I imagine it was like a drug experience--and totally legal.
So she danced. She ran across the dance floor dramatically and waved her arms. She stared at herself in the wall of mirrors. She ate all the cheese cubes off my plate that I had really been looking forward to. Unlike the Mickey Mouse shaped chicken nuggets which I refuse to eat. She played with the fake candle in the middle of the table for which I was thankful that the organizers were smart enough to leave real fire well enough alone. Then she danced and ran a little more.
Then Sam started saying, "Cake? Cake?" But we'd seen no cake on the banquet table. It wasn't long before Sam started saying, "Safeway store car fast?" So we got up and began to make our good-byes. Cupcakes arrived and were sent with us, but Sam was done.
One hour. She'd lasted one hour which is what Mick had predicted. So to Safeway we headed, to purchase cake (of course), wine (of course), and Avatar the movie ( a surprise), and then we headed home.
A successful first prom.
We never did manage to get this corsage pinned on, even though we spent a good ten minutes attempting and three of us tried.
Our girls. Sam is delighted. Miranda is reading. But there you have it.
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