Reply to Neighbor's son with cognitive delay

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[quote=Anonymous]OP, we have a similar situation with a child in my son's preschool class who we also see out and about in the neighborhood. She's a bit older, with cognitive delays, and my 4 year old has told me he "doesn't like Jenny" on a few occasions. I can understand where he's coming from - she plays differently than he is used to and doesn't really understand personal boundaries. At the same time, I think it's really important that he learn empathy and that it's important to be kind to everyone. I've told him that he doesn't always need to play with Jenny, but that he does need to be polite and he should try to include her at least sometimes since that would make her happy (and it's alway nice to do what you can to make other people happy). I got the sense that he was a little frightened by her differences, and he actually did better once I acknowledged them. I think pressuring him to be best buddies would be counter productive, but I do what I can to help him start seeing that she can be fun just like the other kids in the neighborhood and praise him for being kind.

In your situation, I think it would be great to invite the neighbor over for a playdate -- especially if you plan something ahead of time that you know your son would enjoy too, so it's a positive experience all around. Your son might do better with that than more free-form running around outside, and I'm sure the other family would appreciate it. My nephew has some pretty significant cognitive and social delays, and I know it means the world to him (and his mom) when the NT kids, and their families, reach out to him.[/quote]

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