“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller
That quote feels especially true right now. Somehow, Robbie has graduated from high school. My little boy, who once filled the house with Bee Movie references, is now 19 years old. Or as he likes to say, “I’m a grown adult.” And he’s right.
After graduation, Robbie had a job placement at a flower shop—two hours a week for four weeks. I half expected him to make reference to Bee Movie, but nope. He took the work seriously. His job coach told me he was a pleasure to have and an asset to the team. And Robbie himself said, “I love doing my job.”
Now, we’re looking ahead. This fall, Robbie will begin the SOAR program at Seneca, where he’ll stay until he’s 21. That’s only two years away. Honestly, the past few years have been such a whirlwind—complicated even more by the stress of divorce—that plans which should have made were not. Sitting with yet another attorney recently, I was reminded of the gaps. The truth is, there’s no roadmap. Just two parents who can’t even be in the same space together. And that’s something I carry my share of responsibility for.
But here’s the part I hold onto: Robbie has so many gifts. Give him a clear task, and he shines. His dream jobs have shifted—from making movies, to now working in a library (he loves quiet and avoids noise). At home, when he watches movies in his room, I can’t hear a sound. His senses are something else—vision sharper than average, hearing more acute than mine.
Sometimes I think: these are the traits of superheroes. Maybe, just maybe, programs like SOAR can help him develop his powers. Because the world could use more heroes like Robbie.
And maybe—if we stop and look around—we’ll see that autism isn’t a limitation, but a different kind of strength.
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