To Dance or Not to Dance

Extra curricular activities or group sports has always been in question for Jacob. Not that he could do them, just that he can get through them.  What I mean by that is he is a control freak. He likes to make the rules and if you don't follow what he expects a behavior is bound to happen. I am talking high pitched screams and temper tantrums of the extreme!  We kind of gave up on looking or trying to do sports, mostly because of cost and due to his time in therapy we thought it might be too much. This last fall we jumped at the chance to sign him up for ballet class. Ballet Class? Ya I know what your thinking but here is why.....
1.He is the most uncoordinated boy I know and could use help with things like skipping and marching.
2.He is in a room full of girls and one other boy. Why is this important?  I want to raise a gentleman, there are manners in dance, letting the ladies go first and I think he needs to work on socially spending time with them. He has the boy thing down pat!
3. It is 45 minutes long. Long enough to get instruction and not cause too many meltdowns due to over-stimulation.
4. It is free, boys are on scholarship there!
5. The staff knows about his condition and have been nothing but helpful throughout the year to work with him and me to get through his quirks.
6. It gets him practice to apply social skills learned at therapy in a classroom setting.
7. You saw that it was free right???????
Tuesday was class and he wanted nothing to do with practicing the same thing over and over for the end of the year showcase. He had me doubting him and putting him in the last show this year. But a friend said let him choose if he wants to be in the show , he said he did and we did. Last night was the recital. I did get some modifications with picking him up early so he didn't have to wait in waiting room after he preformed. There is also the fact I bribed him with ice cream afterwords. But all in all it was great. I have never been so proud of him than I am now. It was scary, things in that moment felt "normal" what ever that is? We are crazy and signed him up for t-ball this summer......