What My Kid Did
My son has always been withdrawn and unfocused in the classroom. He has struggled with classroom work and keeping up with the other students in the classroom. But this year, not only did he achieve High Honor Roll status for the entire year, he aced a 100 point test on the entire content of science this year, wrote and composed 2 presentations, and stood in front of his classmates and delivered both presentations with confidence and a lot of creative humorous visual aides that had them all cracking up!
How It Happened
In the fall, we "taught" the new teachers how to teach him by giving them copies of successful tests, notes, outlines, and guidelines used in classes where he had been successful in the past. We held all of them to a higher standard and when the need was there, were diligent about requesting disappearing accommodations to gradually increase his confidence in the classroom. We were very specific with how we wanted his aide to assist him, and daily communications with the school personnel, an aide worth her weight in gold who propped up his confidence with constant encouragement, and giving him the ability to try new things without worrying about making a mistake. We role played with him about how to ask questions about things in the classroom, then expanded it to having him rehearse his presentations with us and in front of the mirror. He was surprised to see himself and was quite amazed at his facial expressions while he was talking, motioning, stimming. From the time he was a baby, I have used a small boy baby doll to talk to him about his emotions and get him to express his feelings, and over the years we have used puppets and most recently ventriloquist dummies to get him to express himself and learn more about facial expressions, social cues, innuendo, and the meaning of a joke. He has since taken a great interest in ventriloquism, and is great at it!
Advice
- When you are in the thick of it, just take simple joy in the small victories.
- Keep on believing that you are the best advocate for your child.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help or support when you need it.
- Don't let others progress diminish what your child has done... see below.....
- http://www.divinecaroline.com/life-etc/real-life-real-humor
- http://www.divinecaroline.com/self/self-discovery/gift-magical-thinking
- http://www.divinecaroline.com/life-etc/friends-family/funny-one
- Find joy in every little miracle step forward!!!
