Aida Franco de Lima – OPINION
One day I was at the Igléa Grollmann School in Cianorte and noticed that it was break time, but a boy was sitting on a sofa near the secretary. I imagined that he was waiting to solve some problem. That was when the teacher Ana Floripes He explained that he, Henry Augusto Hirata Pereira, was not going to the break, he preferred to stay there. And that his classmates would soon arrive.
It wasn't just once... Henry studied in the afternoon from 2020 to 2023. In 2024, he started high school, in the morning shift. He sat on that couch near the secretary's office during break time for four school years and eleven months. When he started high school, he met up with his friends from the morning, and they would come over to him during break time from February to November last year. They would get their lunch and eat there. Henry wouldn't eat. Until they took him to the front gate. Then to the little tables, to the green area, to the courtyard, and now the couch is empty.
The classmates themselves will record a video and talk about the strategy they used to overcome autism and get Henry to the playground. The video will be part of the training process in April and will be used in the afternoon classes, sixth, seventh and eighth grades. The goal is to combat autism. bullying, encourage harmony and respect for diversity.
Other behavior
Today, Henry has increased his level of communication, reciprocity and social interaction. He has reduced the level of support and goes to school every day. According to him, before he had difficulty going, he had to go. Sometimes he would take a cold shower, hoping to get sick. That way, he thought he would not go to school. His grandmother said that in the morning he gets up quickly and no longer makes it difficult to wake up and get ready. Henry's mother passed away last year, and this year he had a birthday with friends from school. On February 27th, he turned 2.
And in that school, so full of incredible students, Samuel, also 16 years old, observed this whole story and turned it into a chronicle. A lover of books and any other type of literature, from an early age he liked to learn about the things around him. Over time, he developed several skills besides writing and became a musician and chess player, winning some medals and trophies along the way.
The empty sofa
Photo: Ana Floripes
It's been so many days... The Sun and the Moon have taken several walks around here. On the days when I walked through the hallway, there was a sofa that would make my eyes water. Every day, it filled me with laughter alongside good company, but, not so far away, that same sofa had a constant companion.
On that sofa there were many things, much more than a person. Loneliness and anguish had a date and filled the furniture with their empty tones.
Time passed, and the sun's paths seemed brighter. I heard laughter in the hallway, but it didn't seem like the downcast soul I'd seen before. The joy was real; the loneliness was a distant past.
My gaze was enchanted. That sofa shone so brightly! Bright colors appeared, and in my mind, I couldn't tell if all of this was a dream or reality. The fact is that that dark place had become vivid, but it was still dark and difficult to see. It was difficult to understand: the full seemed empty, the comfort seemed uncomfortable.
Then, suddenly, when I least expected it, my eyes beheld beauty. The weather became cloudy and, soon, the floodgates of rain opened. But the rain did not destroy the castles, it watered the flowers of a dry field. When I paid attention, I soon realized. I asked myself: “Where is the boy who used to stay here?”
The sofa was empty. It had been a long time since I had seen it like this, and the anguish no longer filled that place.
Outside, I could hear laughter. Its tone was familiar to me. And from afar, I saw, like solid ground on the high seas: that boy, with his head down, had left the sofa that had been his daily meeting place. Now, his presence was no longer frequent. That sofa was in the past, and the present was already reality.
At that moment, my eyes opened. I never thought that fullness could empty the deepest part of my being. But that boy taught me to look around me, because we are all full of something. However, those who eat a lot are not always healthy.
I rejoice in learning. I rejoice in growing. I rejoice in victory, because that couch is empty… as it should be. (Samuel Pina Rodrigues, 16 years old)
The same school is the setting for a documentary that will soon be shown throughout Brazil. The 60-minute film, entitled “TEA, the vision of a teacher and her students: lessons learned and tasks to be done,” was created to give a voice to students with ASD, their families, friends, and professionals in the field. It is based on the Identity vs. Prejudice project, created by teacher Ana Floripes Berbert Gentilin. The production is supported by the Paulo Gustavo Law for Cultural Incentives, with funds from the Federal Government to the City of Cianorte, through the Municipal Department of Culture. The plot is based on the trajectory of a teacher and her work in a public school, highlighting the challenges and advances in inclusive education. The general director is Aida Franco de Lima, a journalist who is part of the H2FOZ team.
This text is the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of H2FOZ.
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