I have probably mentioned this in the past but one of the special things they do at Avi’s school (and most therapeutic schools) is a token economy system. Each day the kids can earn up to 100 points, 50 academic and 50 behavioral. Academic points are earned based on doing your homework, listening to instructions in class and always making an attempt even if you are not sure. Behavioral points are earned by behaving well during school. The day is broken down into 10 periods and they can earn 5 academic and 5 behavioral points each period. These points can then be used to purchase prizes at the school store.
We are blessed with a school that is great at development, and the school store is filled with great items like Lego sets, video games and even video game consoles. Last year, Avi would use his points to purchase Pokémon cards and little things. This year, he decided to save up for a Wii console. In the system, the Wii costs 15,000 points, and it would take Avi pretty much all year to save up that amount. So Avi used all of his will power to save all year long and he never spent one point throughout the year. Last week, he came home with a new Wii and was also able to get an extra game with his leftover points.
Marsha and I had decided early on that we would not get any of these console video games, but given the circumstances, we felt if Avi was able to save all his points like this, he could have the Wii. I must admit I find it fun also. The only problem is that now the kids are spending too much time on the Wii! Also it is becoming a problem when two of them want to play different things. The machine came with one remote so we did purchase two more and we borrowed some games from my brother, so for the time being they have things to play and they can play together. I am hoping that once the “newness” of it wears off, it won’t be as much of a problem.
Now what does this all have to do with The Lion King? Not much really, but it took me a few days to write about the Wii that I had something else to write about. The Theater Development Fund (TDF) has been running special performances of The Lion King and Marry Poppins for families with children on the Autism Spectrum. TDF buys out the entire theater for a performance and they provide all of the ushers and staff, who are all trained to work with children and adults on the Autism Spectrum. The show is slightly modified so that the sounds are not as loud, the lights do not dim all the way and the animal puppets, which are quite large, will be in the lobby at the start so the kids can get used to them. They also have quiet spots in the lobby for kids to go if they need to leave the theater. We have tickets for the next one of these performances on Sunday, September 30. Without a performance like this, I do not know if we would ever be able to take Avi to see a Broadway show. I thank God all the time that we are living in a society that for the most part understands diversity and is willing to accept people for what they are and what they can do rather than shunning people for what they are not or what they cannot do. We still have a long way to go, and groups like TDF are helping us to get there.