I just wanted to share a really good experience. DS is 8, has ASD and is our only child, so I am really overprotective. He's a really isolated child, doesn't have any friends, isn't aware of his surroundings or other human beings, getting him to say more than one word is like pulling teeth.
He's only ever been invited to two birthday parties by kids from his school, both house parties, with a large volume of children, so had to turn them both down and then he got an invite to a birthday party at a swimming pool.
DS is a great swimmer, he's utterly obsessed and it's the only thing in the world he really cares about, so although I was nervous, we accepted the invite and then I spent about two weeks internally freaking out and prepping DS for it and then when we got there, everything went far better then I could ever have hoped for.
DS managed to say Happy Birthday and hand over the present before ignoring everyone again and the other kids were so impressed with his swimming, they kept calling out to him and kept including him in all the games, which he kept winning, I've never been the Mum whose kid was the best at anything and to just be in that position for a small period of time, was bloody brilliant.
At the end of party, DS was annoyed at everyone constantly calling his name but said the swimming made up for it, so his first non family related birthday party was a success 