October 15, 2019
Posted in Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged autism, autism acceptance, autism awareness, autism diagnosis at 10:36 am by autismmommytherapist
“When did you know?”
It’s a question that I’ve been asked several times since my eldest son Justin’s autism diagnosis fifteen years ago at the tender age of fifteen months. I don’t have just one answer for this question however.
I knew of course when the kindly developmental pediatrician told me he had PDD, was too young for a formal autism diagnosis, but I knew.
I knew a month earlier when our not-so-kindly pediatrician shoved a bunch of articles with the word “autism” in the title and practically shoved me and my baby out the door at the end of our appointment.
But truly, when did I really know? I knew at six months when he kept spinning everything in sight, still wasn’t sleeping, was so unhappy so much of the time.
I knew despite everyone telling me he was so young, he would be okay.
To me, back then, “okay” meant not having autism, or having such a mild version of it that he’d still have all the trappings of a normal life- independence, love, friends, a job.
He will never have any of those things. And believe it or not, I’ve mostly made my peace with this.
I don’t really see another choice if I am to live my life to its fullest and be the best mom possible. To accomplish those things, there is no other way for me to live with it.
And to tell you the truth, even with severe autism, at this point in time he is okay.
Sometimes, he’s even great.
Do I wish things were different? Despite making my peace there will always be a part of me wishing he will have the myriad of adult choices his brother will have. I know I’ll never fully let that go.
But I also know that way back when he was still ensconced in my womb my constant mantra was please let him be happy, and healthy. To my everlasting delight the boy who finally likes vegetables is healthy, and most days I see evidence of happy too.
A part of me will always mourn what could have been.
Despite this, I continue to have hope. I have seen several friends navigate the murky post twenty-one waters with their children, and so far, so good. I am five years away from this but of course (!) I’ve begun thinking about his choices, what opportunities he’ll have to live his best life possible.
And to my delight, I’ve found several opportunities that just might fit the bill.
None of us knows what the future holds for our kids, or for us. But it is so important to keep the “hope for happy” alive, to acknowledge that his story might not resemble anything I had planned, but might be wonderful for him anyway.
And as he continues to grow and change and become a man, I will do just that.
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October 2, 2019
Posted in Fun Stuff, Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged autism, autism acceptance, autism awareness at 10:51 am by autismmommytherapist
This past week I had Justin’s fourteenth (!) IEP meeting at his wonderful autism school, and as I looked around the table at the amazing practitioners who help my son five days a week it hit me that I would only come to this table four more times. I quickly pushed that thought away (after all, what autism parent really wants to contemplate graduation?) and focused on what all his teachers were saying about my boy.
It turns out, after a year or two fraught with trouble, Justin is doing really well.
Two years ago this fall Justin began displaying body movements that would ultimately be diagnosed as tic disorder, an event that would completely derail his life and his family’s as we tried desperately to help him. He was very challenging during that year, both in school and out. Of course his teachers handled it all beautifully, and eventually with a medication change we were able to get him out of the woods. Although he’s not where he once was, he is much improved, enjoying his life and able to go through his routine.
A year later, I can say he’s still in a good place.
And as I sat at the table and listened to what my boy was doing in the classroom, in OT, and in speech, it hit me.
All is good. I can exhale now.
I’ve written before that autism, at least in my house, is a cyclical event. Sometimes the wheel spins in our favor, and my son is happy, engaged, and productive in his life.
Sometimes, he is not. And that affects us all.
One thing I have learned over the years is that it is so important to grab onto those good times and truly appreciate them, because it is a guarantee that more difficult times will return down the road. I am really making a conscious effort to savor these moments that have luckily continued for an entire year, to revel in his happiness.
Because at the end of the day, my most important goal in life is to see both of my boys safe, happy, and productive.
There will be challenges in our future, of that I am certain. In the not too distant future we will be tackling guardianship, Medicaid/SSI, and hopefully finding a good day program for Justin where he will not only be safe, but enjoy himself. I know there will be struggles ahead.
But for now, all is good, we are at peace.
And I take it gladly.
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September 17, 2019
Posted in Fun Stuff, Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged autism, autism acceptance, autism awareness at 1:16 pm by autismmommytherapist
I almost missed the email regarding overnight respite as I was rushing around on a busy Saturday. It was from Justin’s new camp, a haven for developmentally disabled adults and children not too far from where we live. It is both a day and overnight camp, with specific weekends and weeks allocated throughout the year for autistic individuals. Justin has successfully attended day camp there this summer, with another stint coming up during his second summer school hiatus coming up at the end of August.
My heart soared as I read the email, thinking of the potential opportunity for Justin to someday sleep over at the camp. I don’t know if he’ll be able to handle it, but I know if he does well his last three days this summer that we’ll be looking into a weekend this school year, a decision we will make as much for us as for him.
My boy needs to learn to sleep somewhere other than his own bed.
Back in the day when he was little Justin slept over my mom’s house, but at a certain point he stopped wanting to do that, and we stopped trying. He does sleep in a different bed when we go to Disney every other year, but that is with me in the bed next to him, so in my mind it doesn’t really count. The truth is someday he’ll be sleeping in a home that isn’t his parents’, and I really feel we’ll be doing him a disservice if we don’t try to give him other opportunities to get used to sleeping away from home.
I could tell you that I think he’ll enjoy it, but that would be a lie.
I’ve always pushed Justin to try new things, even when he initially seemed like he hated the activity. Call it mother’s intuition, but when he was little I just knew that eventually he would like the boardwalk, Great Adventure, and our backyard pool, and I kept trying to help him acclimate to those activities. Eventually, by pairing them with food (who doesn’t like that as a reinforcer!) and gradually lengthening our stays at these locations, Justin got to the point where he loved going out, would unceremoniously drop his shoes at my feet and look at me as if to say “Where are we going today Mom?”
I know that he’s grown to enjoy these outings both due to the lack of behaviors when we go out, and also to his smiles when we reach our destination. He’s always ready to go home however, back to the sanctuary of his room, his DVD player, and his forays on YouTube. I know in my heart if we drop him off at camp with a suitcase and his pillow he is going to want to go home at the end of the day, but I think it’s time we pushed him past his comfort zone and gave it a try.
Believe me, it’s pushing me past my comfort zone as well.
Justin is sixteen now, just five years away from the conclusion of his school entitlement ending and impending adulthood. As much as a part of me wants to keep him safely cocooned here forever to protect him, I know that’s ultimately not his life trajectory. He won’t like sleeping away from us, but he needs to practice doing it so it will be easier for him to transition out of our home someday to his new one.
It’s time for me to push him to do something he may not like in an effort to make his transition easier for him down the road.
So keep your fingers crossed both for him and for me (I don’t know who will be more nervous that weekend), because it’s time to stretch my boy’s limits and see if he can fly.
And let’s see if his mom can too.
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September 3, 2019
Posted in Fun Stuff, Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged autism, autism acceptance, autism awareness, tic disorder at 6:42 am by autismmommytherapist
Two years ago this fall my husband and I watched in horror as our non-verbal sixteen-year-old son with severe autism and OCD fell prey to a mysterious malady that would eventually take eight doctors, as many diagnoses, and almost a year to figure out. To say Justin suffered would be an understatement; frankly the rest of his family suffered too just by witnessing his discomfort.
After a number of false diagnoses he was eventually diagnosed with tic disorder, and would have had a full Tourette’s diagnosis if he could speak. For treatment, we simply tripled a medication he was already taking. Although within a few weeks his symptoms, freezing up and being rendered immobile for up to an hour at a time, were dissipated, they’ve never fully receded, and never will. Finally last fall we saw some relief for him. No longer was it a struggle to get him out of bed, get him on the toilet, dress him, get him to eat, get him into the car, etc.
No longer was every single second with him excruciatingly difficult.
My husband and I were immensely relieved to see his improvement, and I’m grateful every day he’s doing better, that we have been able to resume most of his activities with him, and that he’s once again compliant in school.
But the truth is, things weren’t really over in September. Justin’s limited speech declined drastically. His self-help skills, so hard-won, deteriorated.
And worst of all to me, his joy seemed to have disappeared.
Over time, the light has begun to come back to my boy. He is once more affectionate, cracking up more and more over the sounds emanating from a treasured toy or a favorite DVD. He still needs a firm hand to get him to move around sometimes, but he generally is compliant, and the aggression that had resurfaced has mostly retreated. Given that he’s also a teenager and just might not show as much joy as he previously had (my tween is a perfect example) I think we’re on the right track with him, and this is his new normal.
I don’t like it. But I have to accept it.
One thing I will not let go of however is his self-help skills. For Justin’s entire life myself, his father, his therapists and his teachers have worked tirelessly to give him the tools of semi-independence, tools he will need to be successful in an after-21 program one day, and ultimately in a residential program. Over the course of many months we mastered potty training, eating more than one thing, sleeping (that one took years), and going out into the community. We are thankfully back on track with all of those skills, but Justin’s self-help activities have fallen by the wayside, and it’s time for me to man up, and get him back on track.
Fortunately I have help, as his school sends out their BCBAs (Board Certified Behavior Analysts) to do house calls (!). I am hopeful he will once again be dressing himself, brushing his teeth, showering somewhat independently, and my favorite, using a fork.
That last one has remained elusive; I’m hopeful the third time’s the charm.
The BCBA will be coming out to us in the fall, and I think I finally have the mental and physical energy to address these issues. To be perfectly honest with all of you, the tic disorder, and the havoc it wreaked on all of us for the better part of a year, sucked the life out of me. I had anticipated something might strike as he entered his teenage years, but I had no idea how difficult things would be, that this latest disorder would derail our family for a time.
The truth is, I needed time to recharge before I geared up for the self-help fight, and I’m glad for once I didn’t barrel through and take this on immediately. I’ve had to remind myself that he is years away from graduating from his school, years away from when his independence, or what he can acquire of independence, is of paramount importance. We have time.
This will take time.
And it’s so important as we address these hurdles that I have patience, that I refuse to mourn what we have lost and instead focus on what we will gain.
Wish us luck.
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August 23, 2019
Posted in AMT's Faves, Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged adult autistic life, autism, autism acceptance, autism awareness at 6:38 am by autismmommytherapist
Last week I had the opportunity to have breakfast with two lovely women, both of whom have children in Justin’s school. As usual our conversation focused on autism (is there anything else to talk about?), and also as usual we expressed our desires to create some type of home for our kids where they could live together one day. I guess a home is a somewhat modified version- our dream would be akin to something that’s a cross between the Kennedy compound and Disney, with every possible accommodation available to our boys. I realized at that breakfast how lucky I am that I have a handful of parents I’d even consider doing some type of group home situation with, if we have the money, if the rules are relaxed, etc.
Truly, I think the greatest compliment I can bestow upon anyone these days is I’d let you in my group home.
About an hour into the breakfast I looked at my friends and said “I bet nobody in this restaurant is having this conversation” and we all laughed, because it’s true- although autism has taken over our world, relatively speaking it is still a rarity in the general population. I’m sure some of the things we said would shock parents of neurotypical children, but these things are just the realities of our lives, and it’s so good to have people to talk with about the more difficult issues of the disorder.
I am grateful for these women.
I’ve also noticed over the past six months or so a shift within me, one in which I’m feeling comfortable beginning to contemplate Justin’s future after twenty-one. Honestly for years we were so overwhelmed just getting through the day that I couldn’t even begin to think about his adulthood, but I’m feeling more ready now. In the next five years I will be taking on applying for Medicaid and social security, applying for guardianship, and looking for a day program where I’m told my goals should be he’s “happy and safe.”
And I’m ready to start talking with friends and family about what his after twenty-one life may look like, and the impact it will have on our family.
The truth is I’m very nervous about him graduating. I’ve heard there’s often a six month gap from graduation to adult autistics starting a day program, and although we might be able to fill the first few months with camp, that still leaves a long fall/winter potentially ahead of us. Justin likes to be home but also likes to be out in the community, and I know in-home supervision is just not right for my boy. He loves school and does better when engaged for six hours a day, so I am confident he will need a day program for his sanity, and mine. The programs are strict about behaviors, so I am hopeful we will continue on our current track and he will be able to handle a new situation behaviorally.
Fingers continually crossed on that one.
I want so much for him to be able to handle a program, in part because I think it will make him happy, and his happiness is important to me.
But I also want him to be enrolled in a program because I want some modicum of freedom in my old age. If Justin is home I need to be home with him, know where he is in our house, keep an eye on him constantly.
It’s not what I envisioned my impending sixties would entail.
I’m writing about this because I don’t think Jeff and I talk enough about the lifelong impact Justin’s severe autism has had on the family, a choice we’ve made because when we’re actually with our families and friends frankly we just want to have fun with them, and talking about these issues is not very uplifting.
But it’s time for us to start talking. It’s time to explain to the people in our lives that when they’re contemplating where they want to live in retirement we’ll be hoping we’re not babysitting our adult child 24/7. It’s time to talk about the fact that there may not be residential funding for Justin until his father and I are in our seventies, and what that reality entails.
It’s time to talk about the fact that Jeff and I are really tired now, so not so confident we’ll be up for this in twenty years.
The truth is of course we don’t have a choice, and we will do the best we can for our boy, as we’ve always tried to do.
In the meantime I need the people in our lives to know at least to the two of us the future is daunting. I have no doubt we’ll have help along the way, as the autism parent community we’ve tapped into is knowledgeable and so helpful, and I’m confident my many future questions will be answered, and help will be available.
I am remaining positive, hopeful for good choices for our son (I like having choices). He tries so hard to be happy every day, I want to see that reality for him.
So keep your fingers crossed for us too, and know we want to start this conversation now.
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August 11, 2019
Posted in Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged autism, autism acceptance, autism awareness at 6:36 am by autismmommytherapist
On a Thursday night not too long ago I watched as my youngest son gleefully posed for pictures with Kylo Ren and Princess Leia, then sparred a bit with Obi-Wan just to round the evening off.
And no, he wasn’t at Comic Con.
For the past seven or eight years Zach and I have attended Star Wars-themed nights at the Brick Public Library, and for years those evenings have remained some of Zach’s favorite summer events. In past years the creator, Miss Michele, has included such events as games, raffles (with awesome prizes!), scavenger hunts, photo opps, and the most important event, a visit from the 501st Legion.
The 501st is comprised of a group of volunteers who make detailed Star Wars costume replicas and put them to good use by fundraising, doing charity work, and volunteering. Fortunately for us one of their annual events is our library, and I know it is the highlight of the evening just by listening to the kids who attend and watching their faces as they walk into a room with all their favorite Star Wars characters.
I admit, as a four-decade veteran Star Wars fan, I get a little verklempt too.
This summer Miss Michele as asked to consolidate what used to be several events into one jam—packed evening, and both Zach and I agreed it was her best event yet. Of course since it’s a library there were dozens of amazing books as free giveaways, more incredible books to be won by raffle, and a great talk by the 501st encouraging kids to follow their passion for Star Wars (and reading!).
Trust me, it’s an evening the adults enjoy just as much as the kids.
And truly, nobody enjoys it as much as Miss Michele. I am certain these evenings require a great deal of work and organization on her part, and she continues to outdo herself every single year. Her dedication to children and to fostering their love of reading is unsurpassed, and our town is very fortunate to have her.
And since I enjoy these nights as much as Zach does, we truly are lucky.
This year for the first time Zach won a gourgeous (and huge!) Star Wars book which will take him the entire summer to finish, and the smile on his face when he learned he’d won was incandescent. It was a wonderful way to wrap up our evening, and when I asked my tween if he still wanted to attend next year, there was a bit of eye-rolling with his accompanying “yes Mom!”, so I know we’ll be doing at least one thing together next summer.
So thanks for that Miss Michele, and thanks for creating an event that is the highlight of many kids’ summers.
May the Force be with you all!
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July 22, 2019
Posted in Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged autism, autism acceptance, autism awareness at 6:28 am by autismmommytherapist
.
It’s 6:00 AM, and I can already hear the “thump,thump,thump” of Justin’s glider and his accompanying vocal stims as the morning unfolds. We have just spent sixteen days together during the first of two breaks from summer school, and this morning he will ascend his golden chariot and return to a new teacher and a new building.
Am I a bit nervous? You bet.
I am comforted however that except for a few blips here and there our time together was lovely. We got somewhere fun every day except two, and he did beautifully at a new day camp I’m hoping he will be able to attend for decades to come. I’m hoping his “streak” continues with his new educator and location, am comforted that he once had his teacher as an aide in a classroom several years ago, and hopefully feels comfortable with her.
We shall see.
But today I want to focus on the fact that after the horrors of last summer, my boy and I had fun together. We braved Hurricane Harbor, Great Adventure, and even made it an hour-and-a-half at the beach (that’s a good day). I still haven’t seen as much joy from him as we did before the tic disorder descended upon him, but I’ve learned to look for the absence of angst, which I think is our “new normal” for figuring out if Justin is happy.
Because at the end of the day, what I’m really striving for for him is not elaborated or complicated, although reaching both can be. I just want him to be safe, and happy.
It is ridiculous sometimes how difficult those two things are to achieve.
But as he starts this new chapter in his life at school I have hope, and supreme confidence in the staff at his wonderful school. My boy may not like change, but change is a staple in life, and he will have to continue to learn to weather it, and hopefully embrace it too.
As will his mother.
So fingers will be crossed as I wait to hear how he did. Gratitude extended to the universe for how well the last two weeks went.
And hope that all will be well.
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July 7, 2019
Posted in AMT's Faves, Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged autism, autism acceptance, autism awareness, Jenks Boardwalk at 6:40 am by autismmommytherapist
It was a walk we’ve taken dozens of times since we moved here thirteen years ago, my sixteen-year-old severely autistic son and I. As usual Justin was a few steps ahead of me as I tried to lengthen my stride to keep up, and I had to smile. This was perfect Jenks boardwalk weather, low humidity, a lovely breeze, abundant sunshine. We were just about to leave the residential area of the boardwalk and pass the aquarium when an elderly woman passed us a few feet to our left, at which point Justin let out one of his vocal stims, just one, and not very loudly at all. A moment passed, and none of the families around us even looked at him. I was contemplating what to make for dinner when I heard it, and whirled around in disbelief.
“Shut up!” screamed the elderly lady in the black beach coverup at the top of her lungs, looking weighted down by her chair and bag, staring straight ahead so I couldn’t get a look at her face, just the back of her head. Rage and disbelief in equal measures engulfed me, and I yelled back “What did you say?!” to which she responded again, but halfheartedly, “Shut up!”.
God, there were so many things I wanted to say to her, but there were little kids all around us, and the teacher/mom in me won the battle of restraint.
Instead of calling her names any good Jersey girl knows I told her to shut up, and screamed that she should be ashamed of herself.
Then I ran to catch up to Justin, absolutely fuming inside that this miserable excuse of a human being could intrude on one of our favorite places, could affect our sanctuary.
There were so many thoughts spinning in my head at that moment. This was only the third time in Justin’s entire life anyone had ever said anything mean to him, as the community we live in is so accepting of autism. I desperately wished another adult was with us so I could rush back to that woman, get in front of her and take her picture and plaster her all over Brick Shorebeat and the Point Pleasant Patch. I contemplated how good it would feel to go all “Cersei Lannister” on her and just intone “Shame, shame, shame” as I followed her back to whatever rock she’d crawled out from under.
I wanted to scream at her that for all his lanky height he is still a child, that she had no right to yell at him.
In the end I could do none of it, just try to keep up with my kid as we headed to our car.
There were so many things I wanted her to know.
I wanted to tell her that this child she was screaming at once wrapped his arms around his teacher after missing a week of school to Hurricane Sandy, and for two hours refused to let her go.
I wanted to tell her this “different” person she’d unleashed her invectives on could read at three.
I wanted to tell her my sweet boy at sixteen still loved to cuddle with me at night for his bedtime story and songs.
I wanted to tell her that before she died I could almost guarantee she’d know someone who’d have a child with autism. I hoped she’d never forget what she did today, and I hoped it would haunt her.
I wanted to tell her she’d picked the wrong mom to mess with, that my “autism tribe” doesn’t put up with this crap.
And as my breathing slowed and my heartrate slowly returned to normal, I wanted to tell her this.
I wanted to tell her that because of this wonderful community in which we reside, that she was negated, that she was nothing.
I would have liked to tell her about the man at Great Adventure this past weekend who asked if he could help us when we were having a rough moment with Justin.
I would have told her about POAC Autism services, how their trainings and events gave our boys someplace to go in the early years when outings were so difficult.
I would have shared with her how amazing the teachers, paras, principals and social workers in the Brick schools and at Search Day Program have been to our boys for the past thirteen years.
I would have told her about how kind our neighbors have been, that there is always a “hello” for our boy whether he responds or not.
I would have shared with her how unknown patrons at iHop had paid for our lunch on Mother’s Day, just to be kind.
I would have told her my son is a thousand times more loving, brave, intelligent, and gentle than she could ever be.
I would have told this coward, who didn’t have the courage to face me and hurl her epithets, that all this collective community kindness cancelled her out.
We finally made it back to our car, and my boy gave me a fleeting grin as he climbed into the backseat, as always asking for water (he is the most hydrated child on the planet). I thought about how far he’s come, and how far I’ve come too. I thought about the fact that ten years ago her invectives would have made me cry, but that now nothing could touch me, or ruin my time with my boy.
I hoped she wasn’t local and would leave us soon. If not, I’m telling autism families to beware.
And as we headed home, my boy rocking out to the eighties with absolute delight, I took a deep breath, and smiled.
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July 1, 2019
Posted in Fun Stuff, Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism at 10:35 am by autismmommytherapist
Every morning this past week I pulled up bright and early to the Monmouth County Therapeutic Recreation Camp at the Dorbrook Recreation Area in Colts Neck with Justin in tow, bouncing back and forth in my backseat rocking out to the 80’s (my kid has good taste). Each morning this week I got him and all of his paraphernalia out of my car, and escorted him to an open field where people with disabilities of all ages, even some elderly, were doing calisthenics on their ample lawn, many with smiles on their faces. Every morning I passed Justin off to his wonderful side (provided through PerformCare), kissed him goodbye, and headed back to my car.
Each day my fingers were crossed.
This is the third year Justin has attended this camp. His first year went spectacularly, and he truly seemed to enjoy the activities. Last summer was much more of a challenge. He had a wonderful aide, but even with a one-on-one I had to pick him up early several days for behaviors, which wasn’t a surprise given how much he struggled last year. This year, after things got better for him last fall, was a throwback to his first year.
And I can’t tell you how grateful I am.
Truth be told if Justin couldn’t handle camp he’d be back in school in two weeks, but those two weeks would be somewhat challenging logistically. This year my youngest is in school the first week, but the second he’s not, hence the challenge. It is still really difficult for me to take both of them somewhere by myself, as Justin often wants to leave the venue early, and Zach does not. Plus to tell you the truth, bad weather precludes us going anywhere anyway, and at least at camp there are multiple diversions for Justin.
My boy lies to get out.
But there’s a bigger reason why I’m so grateful he’s had a great week, and I’m hopeful that his second camp will mirror this one. Justin is graduating in five years, and it is my greatest hope (honest to God) that my son will be able to handle a day program so he’s not stuck in the house with me for, well, decades.
Simply told, I am just not that fun anymore.
Justin is a creature of habit, however once he’s “done something once” it becomes part of his routine, and he is generally amenable to the activity or venue. Giving him the opportunity to try new things will be instrumental in helping him acclimate to a day program after fourteen years at his beloved school. He needs new experiences to help him handle what’s coming down the road. He also needs to have his own life, and not just be reliant on me to do things and have fun.
Amen to that.
So I am grateful we’re back to square one, and hopeful this new camp will work out too (they do sleepovers!) so please keep your fingers crossed for us.
And for all those autism families out there, remember once in a while to take a chance.
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June 17, 2019
Posted in AMT's Faves, Fun Stuff, Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged autism, autism acceptance, autism awareness, teachers at 11:25 am by autismmommytherapist
To Mrs. Stockhoff, Mrs. Caruso, Mrs. Reilly, Ms. Estelle, Ms. Bearse, Ms. Byrne, Ms. Clinton, and Ms. Berry at Veterans Memorial Middle School,
I’m writing this post to thank all of you for helping get Zach (and me) through his first year of middle school.
Honestly, I think the transition was harder for me than for him.
In general I’ve found middle school to be something that most students just hope to survive, but Zach actually loved sixth grade and can’t wait for next year.
He did beautifully this year, and this is in large part to your collective excellence and devotion to your craft. You guided him when he needed it; reined him in when he required it; and most importantly, made him feel valued, and that he had a voice.
When there were blips in the road you worked with him to conquer them, with professionalism and compassion. When he excelled, you were there to congratulate him.
You answered my sixty thousand questions promptly and respectfully. For that, I am truly appreciative.
I am so grateful he had all of you to instruct him this year. He came home every day enthusiastic about school, often quoting you when describing his day. He found your classes to be fun, informative, and challenging in a way that kept him engaged, not frustrated. Your instructions and deadlines were clear, your expectations fair. Your assignments were creative, and often thought-provoking. You encouraged him always to do his personal best, and fostered independence in his choices and actions whenever you could.
As a former educator of this age group, I can honestly say I was always impressed.
While all of these things were absolutely wonderful, what I appreciate the most about every teacher who crossed his path this year was how much you “got” my boy, and that you clearly liked him.
That means everything to him, and to me.
I’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who instructed him this year. I wish all of you could move up to seventh grade with him (fingers crossed!), but since that seems unlikely, my hope is that he finds the same creative, compassionate and excellent instructors in the years to come.
Thank you for all you do for our kids!
Kim McCafferty
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