Wrestling Match
A couple of years before this, Will was on the Elementary School wrestling team. He didn’t really love it and we never watched wrestling on TV so these brother v brother match-ups were mostly just a chance to be silly and blow off steam.
No one ever got seriously hurt and the boys always had fun. I can certainly imagine how some of you, especially those with kids who have major sensory aversion, might be cringing at the fact that I let my kids wrestle. I would not have allowed it if it upset Michael at all (or Will for that matter), but they were both fine with it…as is clear from the photos.
From my perspective, interaction with loved, trusted people is good. Each situation, even if your child needs to advocate for themselves and say that they don’t like what’s happening, is still an opportunity to hone their communication skills. If you over-manage everything, they never have a chance to tell you they’re hungry, or tired or they really want you to leave them alone so they can have a Nacho Libre-style wrestling match with their brother.
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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