I was reading an article from the Parkville-Overlea Patch yesterday, and I was struck by the emotion this mom experienced when her children, one of which is on the spectrum, were asked to play upon entering the playground.

“For the first time that I can remember, Sammy, a 7-year old, was overtly invited to join a group, and he interacted with ease and confidence. The other kids guided him with an intuition I’d never seen, and it was the best playground experience I think he (and I) ever had.”

The author’s boys had been invited by a couple of other kids to play. When the author expressed gratitude to their supervisor, she learned that this woman was their mother, a special education assistant, and she regularly talks to her kids about tolerance. They discuss acceptance of all–ages, shapes, colors, sizes and abilities.

Check out the full article here, and let us know what you’re doing to help break down social barriers–on the playground, in school or wherever.