On Never Giving Up

We were told by many experts last year that written output would always be a tremendous challenge for Ryan and we were encouraged to make use of “assistive technology”. Easier for the school. Easier for Ryan. Win. Win. Except my child would miss out on a fundamental building block of learning? Win. Lose.

Writing is so much more than putting pencil to paper. Working memory, fine motor skills, letter recognition, spelling, and grammar all come into play at once. It is a rather tricky affair that many take for granted.

The little voice inside my head whispered "it is worth taking the time to learn".

A year later and with the help of some private occupational therapy, I am pleased to report that Ryan is now keeping up with the written demands in the classroom. It may not be pretty. But it is there. And it is an amazing accomplishment.

I guess what I am trying to say is that we as parents are “the experts” on our children. Although the professionals know a thing or two, our child’s fate rests in our own hands and it is important to also follow our instincts and to not necessarily take what we hear from a school or psychologist as the final word.

Ryan, I am so, so very proud of you. And as for this? Many of these students will make excellent employees one day. Pay them well honey.