So Close ... or, Eloping

James had been having a stellar week, impressing school staff with his classwork, follow through with hygiene, and participation in the dreaded PE. He charmed the afternoon bus crew and earned praise from his afternoon ABA Team. 

Then this afternoon, on a late lunch break after a morning of computer and paperwork - a phone call from school. I know many of you have been there with me: my heart sank and my head drooped as I answered.

The good news is that everyone is okay.

However ...

In the middle of working on his PE laps, James veered off course and found a new hole in the school perimeter for a significant and random feat of eloping.

Unless you've lived this, I'll bet this sounds pretty harmless. Trust me, it's not. It impacts what James can and cannot do - it's restrictive. It means I am sometimes listening for elopement attempts at home, 24/7. Field trips and several programs are off limits for him. It is dangerous - for traffic, stranger danger, and especially for James.

It is often this way - stretches of great work and progress, followed by a hard check and possible reversion. Time now to breathe through it, then look for the reason for the event and processing of what happened and how to better handle a situation like this next time. Because the next time is always coming.