Kobe learns from his peers at Awakening Minds Art.

Sitting in the waiting room, while her son Kobe participated in Art in Music, Tonya M. chatted with me about her son, the joy he gets from his work here at AMA, and what she sees in the future.
 
They have been coming for two years having learned about AMA after Ms. Megan Hall came into Kobe’s school to teach one of their Awakening Minds sessions. Tonya says she is impressed that Kobe, who was born with Down’s Syndrome, does the art, not a teacher holding his hand. He actually focuses on the task at hand. “Kobe is really into painting and it is very calming for him.”
 
She initially brought him to class to have other activities beyond school and to get additional support for herself. Tonya is a retired Findlay police officer but “Nothing prepared me for the challenges of rising Kobe. Every day is different, and I am totally relearning parenting after raising two older boys. Some days I feel like I am floundering.” She is watching and learning new coping mechanisms and tactics from watching AMA instructors work with her son. It is here Kobe can interact with peers like himself and learn appropriate behaviors from typical peers. Both Tonya and Kobe learn keywords that trigger POSITIVE behaviors.
 
Tonya enjoys the break while Kobe is in class and she looks forward to time with other moms, who are understanding adults, in similar situations. “They get it.”
 
She is excited about the new building as it will provide much more room for one on one private classes. Also, a relief is that there will be a locked security check-in point and the children are secure. “Kobe is a runner and we must watch him closely if he is near a door. I will feel much safer in the new building.”

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