Have I told you guys about my OTHER kids lately?

socks, you go girl!!!!!!!!!!!

Annie Sullivan reincarnated maybe?

Amy

That story is so great, I read it through twice - with tears in my eyes! Good for you, Socks - we’re all proud of you!

Lil

Gotta love your determination and grit…Those paybacks are worth the hassle…Sorry to hear about the arrogant SLP…but so glad you got her to see the LIGHT!!

What a wonderful story!! You are an inspiration! Your hard work is paying off, the work you did in four months is in that little boys eyes. How wonderful that must feel. God Bless you!

Mabel-NYC

What a wonderful story. Having a LD kid changes you. The world is so much better off when you then change the world.

Beth

Beth I agree! It changes so much of your perspective when your kids also have LD.

I realized this the other day after I spent a long time on the phone with my son’s resource teacher. I was suggesting things to her that I know will not benefit my son. I realized that I have gone from an advocate of MY child to someone who had a much broader interest in advocating LD issues.

It was not a world I choose to join but one that I will choose to stay in.

Beth

Thank you! from the Mom of a premie–-26 weeks, 1 lb 12 oz–-was doing remarkably well…we thought until this years while in teh 4th grade we got the LD dx .
I had tears in my eyes as I read your experience. I sometimes wonder if I had been able to provide just a little mooe when she was younger she wouldn’t be where she is now…..

I will say there was one nurse in the NICU who would have long conversations with her and remembered always to play her tapes etc…

You are all a special bunch!!!!!!

Thanks from a Mom of Premie!

If “this side” is dark, you’d better get a flashlight because you’re here, baby! Just another teacher…

There’s no other feeling in the world quite like taking someone else’s child, who is a struggling learner, and helping them “get it.” It makes me get up every day and rush to work.

It SSUUURREEE does! It is interesting how things kind of come full circle. I think my kid’s point was well taken by his momma:-)

Can I just say, your welcome:-) Please find that nurse and thank her! I firmly believe what she did helped your daughter far more then you will ever know. It could of meant the difference between normal intelligence and mental retardation. Amazing what the human voice and Bethoveen does for a little one.

Ya know socks, there really aren’t words to describe… but I sure am impressed and proud of you!!!! You’ve got to feel like a million bucks! True success is to have found your passion and acutally have someone pay you to do what you are good at and what you love. You have succeeded!!!!! Well done. Again, words cannot describe. The impact you have made and will make on little ones who without you would not have stood a chance is awesome. Bask in the glow, you’ve earned it.

Best regards.

Andy

I want to see the pix. Can you email them to me or better yet bring them with you when we meet next weekend? I want to hear more. One of my very special friends words in the same kind of “center” as you. I can’t wait to tell her your story!

Reminds me of recently when I was talking to the ATEN people, the lady said, “well, considering your situation, I guess ATEN owes you this service”. I said, No, ma’m, you owe it to every LD child - not just mine.

I’m no longer satisfied to help just mine.

Socks I’m so happy you’ve found your niche. My oldest was supposed to be a preemie. I had a tumour so large it dwarfed him even after birth. I counted every day to 34 weeks. And in expectation I got to know the neonatal ward a bit and was SO impressed by the nurses. You all have a special place in heavon.
From about 16 weeks I played a tape of my husband’s voice reading poems and a story to my tummy every night since we had to be there alone until the C-section . On one visit my husband could make at about 26 weeks i felt baby stop and it felt like listen to my husband’s voice. Then I felt a pressure and we could see a little raised imprint of a hand. My husband put his hand over it and became a DAD. We have pics and footage of him listening to that cassette again at 3 days and it is obvious to us he recognizes it. It is amazing what those tiney little brains are capable of . By the By he’s my dyslexic with the phenomenal auditory memory.
I’m going to see what else I can do to educate mom’s around here about LD’s. I like your son’s sense of humour.

Andy,it IS sooo cool! How hard is it to find a job you hate soo much that you change it? Seriously, you make your bed,the trick is in how you make it!
At least it is for me.

My brother was born in 1948, at only seven months, three pounds, two ounces, after an emergency flight to White Horse, Yukon in December at 40 below zero, with meningitis which he had somehow contracted intrauterinely. Needless to say he was not expected to last the first night.
But the nurse (there was only one) fired up the wood stoves and wrapped him warmly, and mom held him and talked to him, and he hung in there until he could be flown down to Edmonton and put in an incubator for the next couple of months, this in the days of too high oxygen and no eye protection. He fought through again and also somehow kept his eyesight.
A very very good doctor gave mom some sound advice; he said that the kid had spent his first year just surviving and catching up to normal birth development, so she should just treat him as a year younger than his birthdate. He did develop quite normally, but yes, that one year later than average.
Another very very good doctor (alas one that I did not get to see) agreed with mom that he was acting somewhat funny at the age of nine months when he crawled towards toys but then stopped and cried; turns out that he was very farsighted, which is unusual in children and lazy doctors don’t look for it (my problem). Thank the Lord that the doctor didn’t try any Freudian junk (also what was unfortunately done with me.) He has had glasses since the age of nine *months*; mom still keeps his baby glasses with an elastic on the back with her mementos. Remember that this was in 1948!!
Mom believes firmly that babies should be held and talked to, and he developed as a gifted child once he got out of the hospital. Unfortunately the school system fouled him up with pure memorization reading, but mom had learned phonics from grandma and taught us. He got through school with a repeat in Grade 9 more for behaviour than ability, and went to two years of college-level training. He worked as an air traffic controller for many years until his eyes gave out, then as airport security manager, and now as aviation safety inspector.
He’s normal, moderately healthy, 250 pounds, married and two kids and another handyman’s special home.
With today’s better medical knowledge and skills, and today’s knowledge of education, you just have to get people to APPLY what is known, and a lot of premies can do well.

AMEN:-)

Yeah Leah! Next weekend already? Awsome:-) Email me and I will give you my number, okay? You might even get a live tour!

Socks, I am most convinced that we cannot change the world, but we can change things for just a few profoundly. Bless you.

Janis

Socks,

You believe in children. It makes me sad to think so many who work with children don’t believe in their ability to change, grow, learn. Some see children with defiicits and only see the deficits. They look upon them as a child with a problem.

I think we need to see that when a child has a problem it is our problem These defenseless creatures can not climb that hill alone. We need more people like you willing to give them a fighting chance. They are all fighters they just need a chance.

Thanks for doing what you do for all of our children.

SOCKS! you are awesome!
‘If you think you can…YOU’RE RIGHT. If you think you CAN’T…You’re STILL RIGHT…’ (I THINK that was Teddy Roosevelt, but I could be wrong…buckethead!
Looks like all that crazy mama experience will not be wasted…

That is soo heart-warming! Thanks for sharing. I’d stay there too. You are a very special person, and have a very special job. You’re making a difference.

Socks, thank you so much for sharing all that you do with us. We all learn so much from your experience. I worked in special education for years before having children of my own. I wasn’t high enough up on the educational ladder to have any contact with the political issues that I see now. I was dedicated to helping the children I worked with meet their potential and it was what made life worthwhile to me. Now that I have children of my own and am totally consumed with providing my autistic child with what he needs to fulfill his potential… I am growing cynical. The system, that is supposed to be helping our children, drains so much energy from the parents that at the end of the day we have less to offer to our children ourselves. I am trying to do a better job of balancing being good advocate and being the parent I want to be. Now that my child is on his way out of early intervention and into mainstream kindergarten, I’ve been focusing more on my being responsible for his education and not relying on the system to provide anything more than he needs to make it through the day undamaged. Is it worth it to fight for speech, social skills groups, etc.??? Reading about all that you have accomplished for your children and others peoples children and knowing that you, like me, have your own challenges… is inspirational… I only hope that I can be as smart and strong as you have been about things. It’s also good to be reminded that there are extraordinary people out there like yourself who are making a difference and that we are not alone in this.

IT TAKES A NURSE TO SAVE YOUR LIFE! I am new here but you seem like such a wonderful person. Where do you find your strength? I too am a nurse and where I have always been able to be strong and organized I find myself just a disaster. I have always loved my work. ( I work nights) but now I am feeling like there is just not enough of me to go around. Thank you for offering me hope to keep trying. I have an appointment for my son with a neurodevelpemental physician. Unfortunately, it’s not til April. I only hope we can make it in his current school until then. He seemed to be happy in this preschool but now I think he knows he is differerent. He keeps saying “mommy you come too, you talk” Every Tuesday and Thursday I dread that drive to school. I only have 2 hours before I have to go back and get him. Today is Tuesday and I dread going home because I know I am going to have to take him. I know it is for the best. Thank you for listening. I just wanted someone to know I hate that drive.

Val, you seem to have doubts about this preschool. Does it offer special services like speech therapy for him? Why do you say he might not make it there until April?

Janis

No child has to go to preschool. Maybe you should just pull him out. April is a long time for a young child, not to mention his worried Mom. And the evaluation will not change the preschool–only give you information about what is going on and help you make better (perhaps different) decisions.

Beth

Loved this story. I could just almost hear the sounds of you two calling through through the wrapping paper tubes. What a graphic reminder that we should never give up on any child.

Save your stories up, socks. I don’t remember seeing “Chicken Soup for LD Parents” yet.

wonderful idea!!!

Wow! Fantastic idea I have been looling for one of her past posts about her kids.

My thoughts?? Well I am hard headed enough to say you, fight for EVERYTHING. Of course this isn’t realistic. The biggest thing I have learned from being born dyslexic and having kids with LD’s is this: Life is too short. Life is too short to not have friends to socialize with,and above all else, be able to effectively communicate with them. The emotional aspects of being LD is hard enough in itself. To me, this should take priority over academics.But isn’t this really true academics anyway?

Actually aj, I was reborn when I got a computer. As most know I am dyslexic. If you read my handwriting you wouldn’t get the same feelings out of it. Okay,maybe this is my perspective,but creative writing is something I have always wanted to do. Now I do it by telling my story. I love it as much or possibly more then you guys do:-) I would seriously LOVE to write some books,but jesus,it would be a long one! And god forbid,I would have to use names:-) Anyway,THANKS so much for letting me know how much you like it,gosh knows I will be back next week with something else. It’s kind of a saturday morning ritual . First lots of coffee,and a way I go.

God Val can I relate. Only for me it was dreading going to school after work to pick my youngest up. I never knew what kind of behavioral disaster awaited me.Fortunately things got better,heck they couldn’t have gotten worse! You come mommy you “talk” ,do you know what he is saying there? We always know we are different Val,we always will. That isn’t the problem,it is how everyone else decides to makes us feel about it that counts.

//

Socks,

I don’t usually disagree with you but I disagree here. No one absolutely, no one has the power to make you feel something about yourself.

When I was younger I was someone who cared deeply what people thought about me. I would come home from a party and agonize about whether I said the right thing or not. Now I just don’t care. I have alot of friends and the people who don’t like me are people I usually wouldn’t associate with anyway.

No one can make me feel anything about myself. I think I rock! We need to teach our kids this.

Not that it matters what I think, but you rock too!

No,No,you misunderstood. We are agreeing. What I mean is,the kid knows he is different,the kid doesn’t feel bad about it,until someone tells them that being different is bad.

Different is the world! (Sally L. Smith, Lab School of Washington)

Exactly, then you tell your kid. Don’t mind what anyone else says we are all different.

I always tell my son about Einstein. Einstein is attibuted this wonderful quote,

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

Do you think anyone would think it strange if I tape that to my son’s forehead?

When the kid is learning the wrong things -like there’s something wrong with him, he’s stupid, he’s not as good as other kids. If he has an LD you can fix that with time and research. What you can’t fix is a broken spirit that won’t try anymore. School isn’t a magic must do. Take him out and find a summer program that’ll teach him what he’s not learning now. Don’t wait until he’s screaming, ” I hate myself. I’m so stupid.” and hitting his head with the books he used to love like I did. It took me almost a year to undo the damage kindergarton did to my bright book loving baby.

Imagination:
“Raise new questions,explore new possibilities,regard old problems from a new angle.”
Einstien

Basicly,if one didn’t tell their kid how special different can be,they have sealed their fate. Watching, how special, different can be,now your talking…

Linda,

Speaking of special,it reminded me of something that happened today at work. Since it is regarding the very same kid,I thought I would share. It is true,I swear,and funny.
it was during the afternoon session of playtime,Chris,again,chattering away,because noone was around but me,and well,why not make Socks look like a crazy person,retelling a story,the kid told her,but won’t tell anyone else.SOOO,here he is,I am stapling spring time flower garland up around the room,he calls to me,”I want to ride BIKE,PLLEEEAAASSSE”. I said,”okay wait a minute,let me get it out of the closet He says,.”you know, santa clause is in the closet?”“he is?” I said back. “YUP,he is gonna give me a present”,”he is?”I shot back.”yup,he’s gonna give you a present ” He ISS” I said. “what’s he gonna give me?” “soda”.He tells me.( to explain that response,I need to tell you,when ever he gets on the riding toys,he tells me he is going to the store,I tell him,okay get me a soda) I said to him,”well how do you like the flowers?” he looks up and says,”ahh,how special”.I then said,”we’re all special”,he shoots back”in our own way”.( at circle time we sing the “you are special” song.:-) Try and be me,explaining,santa in the closet,to everyone else at work.

Chris is lucky to have you!

Another one from Einstein.

“Imagination is more important that knowledge.”

That child has us all beat!