A Michigan mom of two has shared footage of the moment children began evacuating her autistic son’s school—but he was not among them.
Kennedy Stephenson posted a clip of what unfolded minutes after she had waved goodbye to CJ, her son, after dropping him off at school. The boy is in the first grade. He is also autistic, which is something his parents had confirmed when he started school. "He had a lot of big behaviors and he had a very hard time socializing," Stephenson told Newsweek. "Everyone told us that, once he went to kindergarten, he would settle into the new culture and learn how to socialize."
Stephenson said she knew there was something "different" about her son, but only had it confirmed in October when he was diagnosed with ADHD and trauma. By then, she added, he was "struggling in school big time." "He was aggressive at times, refused to participate in activities, would elope and get lost in the school building and wouldn't sit still," Stephenson said. "He was suspended 10 times in kindergarten."
Stephenson said they trilled different medications with CJ, a variety of therapies and enrolled him in classes around extracurricular activities such as martial arts. More often than not, however, the boy would end up being asked to leave. Throughout everything that happened over the course of his first year at school, CJ had the love and support of his family. But they were not alone. CJ also had his kindergarten teacher fighting his corner. "His kindergarten teacher was one of the only ones who stuck by him through all of this and advocated for him so he could get extra support in school," Stephenson said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 4 out of every 100 boys in the U.S. have autism. It is a condition that can have a significant bearing on educational outcomes. The Department for Education estimates 74 percent of autistic students graduate with a diploma, compared to 86 percent of all students. Eight percent of autistic students, meanwhile, do not finish high school, compared with 5 percent of all students. Early intervention and the effective identification of a young student’s needs can play a crucial role in shaping the path they take through school.
Thankfully, in the case of CJ, Stephenson discovered from early on that he had that support in abundance. "His kindergarten teacher e-mailed us every day," Stephenson said. "She met with us to hear his story and better understand him. She made her own rewards system with him. She helped us get an Individual Education Plan (IEP), which allowed for things like alternative seating, fidgets, a strong behavior plan, and, finally, a 1-on-1 aide."
That intervention, coupled with finding the right medication and therapy for CJ, made a huge difference. "He did so well in the last few months of the year, and he graduated kindergarten," Stephenson said.
The only downside was the realization that CJ would be moving on to another teacher. Despite this, his kindergarten teacher has continued to find ways of ensuring he knows she will always have his back. "She came to our house several times to check in on CJ through the summer before first grade, and she came to his art show that we held for him to show off his art to family and friends," Stephenson said.
Another example of that came on the day Stephenson witnessed children pouring out of her son’s school after a fire alarm went off. CJ was nowhere to be seen and his mom was understandably concerned. "CJ had just walked through the door when the alarm went off," she said. "This made me very worried because, although he has a 1-on-1 aide, they aren't always there when he gets there. He also gets very overstimulated and that is when his big behaviors come back like getting defiant or eloping."
Stephenson began to imagine every nightmare scenario possible. The idea of CJ running into the road unsupervised, or of it being a real fire and the boy being stuck somewhere in serious danger. "Nearly everyone else had exited the building, and I still hadn't seen CJ come out yet," Stephenson said.
Then, in a moment captured on camera and later posted to TikTok under the handle @kennedy.stephenson, everything changed. "His kindergarten teacher came out holding his hand! She saw me in the car, waved to me, and began directing everyone around," Stephenson said. "Not to be dramatic, but she looked like a superhero! She is a veteran teacher and she knew my son so well. She knew to hold his hand and that he needs that individual attention to be safe. She didn't leave him behind in the office."
Stephenson joined TikTok to share her journey with CJ. "That moment was scary for me, and any other autism parent could relate," she said. It was also a reminder that CJ has people in his corner every day, wherever he goes. "Parenting a child with autism is often hard and sad. But I want to highlight the amazing moments too. And the amazing people who get us through it," Stephenson said. "She deserves all the flowers."
