What is Special about your child?

My son has a strong apptitude for science—basically he’s good at whatever he does so long as he likes it. I have long thought that most of his “genius” comes from his ADHD. I put him on Aderall almost a month ago and noticed a slight difference in the manner in which he sees things. Oh, he still floors me with some of the thoughts and ideas he comes up with. Sometimes I dont’ know if I’m talking to an eight year old or a PhD. There’s a website called The Results Project. They are very positive about having ADD/ADHD. Instead of it being attention deficiet it’s multiple attention. While most people can only focus on one thing at a time, he can focus on five things at a time. Instead of not being able to focus in class it’s that the teacher doesn’t know how to teach for his learning style, which is fast and in short spurts. Once he’s mastered something he’s ready to move on where in most classrooms they labor endlessly on the same thing, BORING! Anyway, he’s being tested for the gifted program and the principal and several other school staff (all except his teacher) think he belongs in the gifted program. If he gets in I’m taking him off the Aderall (i’m taking him off of it for the summer anyway). I know I said alot, but I try to find the positive of having ADD/ADHD too. Sometimes it’s hard on us single focus people, but that’s my defect.

This is a good topic! Sometimes it is so easy to focus on the negatives that we forget to focus on how Positively special and unique our children are!

I enjoy my daughter (7) and the way her mind works. She sees things totally different from the rest of the kids that are her age. She is so into nature and finds such wonderment in the things that most of us take for granted. She enjoys looking closely at the ground for anything remotely “nature”. She found a 4 leaf clover the other day and was so overjoyed! She likes animals and especially the foot prints that they leave behind, she likes all sorts of rocks and enjoys collecting them…especially the shiny ones, she likes to hike and climb hills. She enjoys songs that other kids wouldn’t think twice about…Roger Whittaker’s “River Lady” and “Albany” are 2 of her favorites. She has a funny way of talking…it is part of her LD, but it can be charming. White Hen Pantry comes out “White Pen Hantry”, Culver’s restaurant is “Clovers” to her…we get a chuckle out of her whenever she opens her mouth. She puts her words in a different order than most people…for example “See the kitten black”. I think she sounds like Yoda! She doesn’t cry or whine when she gets hurt, she just says “I’m ok” and goes on with life (she has an incredibly high tolerance for pain). Yes, she does requires a lot more supervision than my other 2 did at each stage, but it has been worth it. It has been a real experience for me and a challenge to my parenting skills, too. Anymore, I have forgotten what “Normal” is…and I’m happy about that!

I LOVE your attitude! In every ‘special’ child I have ever met, there is always something ‘SPECIAL’ that comes WITH the ‘disability’, but is unique and precious…to be enhanced and enjoyed! Including mine…someday, you might watch a SOOPER PUPPY video…if you do, think of me, and how this board helped bring Sooper Puppy and his gang to the big screen…

Elizabeth,

Thanks for the nice reply!

If Sooper Puppy is about a dog, like it sounds to be, my daughter would LOVE it!!! I will look for Sooper Puppy and, when I see it, I will think of another “special” mom and her “special” child!

The summer resource teacher that taught my son to read also taught me that the MOST important factor in our success is our belief that we WILL succeed…I try to pass it on! His first grade teacher was a very nice lady, but she is one of those who feels that approximately 1/30 children is one who ‘just will never learn to read well’. His summer resource teacher said ‘if learning doesn’t happen, TEACHING DIDN’T take place’…I guess we know how she taught my kid to read in 6 weeks when after 9mos he still couldn’t reliably recognize the sight words from week 1 of Grade 1!
Ok, OFF my soapbox…

Hats off to good teachers!!! My daughter has a Special Ed. phonics/reading teacher that is an absolute jewel! That teacher has the most wonderful attitude about the kids she teaches…she really LIKES the children, and it shows! My daughter is with her special teacher 90 mins. a day…they are 90 mins. well spent! That teacher will always have a special place in my heart…my daughter’s too!