This April you may notice that the world turns a little blue. April is Autism Awareness month. The Sydney Opera House will be lit up blue, Newcastle's City Hall clock tower will be blue, and some of your Facebook friends might be sporting ASD profile badges. Now you may be about to switch off, close my page, or groaningly say something like "Not another worthwhile cause to think about." Well please don't. Let me tell you why it is so very important to use April to learn a little something about Autism Spectrum Disorders.
You may not have a family member with an ASD, but I am sure that someone in the circle of your acquaintance is touched by autism. Perhaps it's a friends child, someone at church, or in your homeschool group.These people need you to know a little about autism so that they feel supported, accepted and understood. All too often families touched by autism feel rejected and misunderstood simply because people do not have a basic understanding of what ASD can mean.
Even in my own extended family there is limited understanding of what autism is, and how it impacts my children. I totally understand why this is the case. Autism can be difficult to pin down! You might know a person on the spectrum, and therefore think you know what autism is. You couldn't be more wrong! If you take something away from my post let it be this quote. "To know a person with autism, is to know ONE person with autism." My own two children with ASD are poles apart in how autism effects them.
Roo didn't speak fluently until he was about four and a half.
Koala spoke right on time.
Roo's sensory system needs a lot of movement. His engine is often running fast.
Koala's sensory system is under sensitive. He likes to be quiet and still.
Roo is very agile and walked right on cue.
Koala has low muscle tone and walked at 22 months.
Roo has never had a meltdown
Koala has frequent meltdowns
I could go on and on, but you get the picture.
So this April I will be writing a few short posts about autism. I invite you to come back and learn a little more about ASD, and celebrate (yes you read that right!) the diversity of autism!
April is Autism awareness month. It's a time to educate others about Autism Spectrum Disorders, and to celebrate the blessing that our children with an ASD are. At Roo's school they celebrated with Blue Day, where they dressed in blue, ate blue foods, made blue crafts and generally celebrated being autistic.
Some might find that last statement confronting. It seems to be an oxymoron. How can one celebrate having autism? Isn't autism a tragedy that would be best mourned rather than embraced? Autism as most know it today, can be celebrated. Our children have access to wonderful services which can greatly enhance their lives and those of their families. Certainly there is a time for mourning once a diagnosis of ASD is received, but after that it's time to focus on the positives. There are still many, many times when I look at Roo and feel a stab of disappointment that he isn't able to do the exact same things as other children his age. But increasingly those moments are becoming rare. He fills our lives with so much joy, laughter and opportunities for growth. Only a few short years ago I wondered if he would ever talk, now can chatter away with the best of them!
Autism is still a largely misunderstood diagnosis. If you asked people what ASD is, most would describe a child or adult who is non verbal, cannot make eye contact and has an intellectual disability. This is a totally inaccurate picture of ASD. Autism is a spectrum which has a great range of skills and abilities. To assume that people with autism are largely incapable of emotion, communication and generally living an independent fulfilling lives, is to see only a very narrow group of people who live with autism.
We have one son with Aspergers, and one with PDD-NOS (atypical autism) which essentially means that to most people who briefly meet our boys, they seem as *normal* as the next person. Spend a little more time with them and you would notice subtle differences. We see these differences as just that, differences not disabilities. Yes, those differences can present challenges, but they also have skills which the rest of us can only envy! Koala, who has Aspergers has a wonderful memory. This gives him a real advantage over his brother when it comes to studying! Many children with Autism will not lie, and they have a very clear sense of right and wrong, despite what others around them are doing.
If there is one thing I would wish for people to understand about Autism is that it is not a byword for stupid. On several occasions people have started to talk to Roo as if he were unable to understand much of anything. On two occasions people have held two fingers in front of my son and asked him how many, in a very condescending voice. This was at a time when he can count to 100!
So this April take a little time to learn about autism. If you can get hold of it, watch the movie about Temple Grandin, take a look at Tony Attwood's website, or even just smile, or offer a prayer for the next person you see in a supermarket whose child appears to be having a tantrum, because it could be that the child is having a sensory meltdown, NOT that he just needs stronger discipline.
No doubt there are several people within your circle who have an ASD. A little more understanding will go a long way to make those with autism and their families feel more comfortable and understood.
It's about time that the wider community began to acknowledge that there are three education options for all students. Public education, independent and catholic, and home education. As the numbers of home educating families continues to grow at a rapid rate, there needs to be a wider understanding of what home education really is, so that families can feel empowered to make the right educational choice for their family. For too long those who work in the field of education have assumed that they know what is best for children who in reality they know little about. This is of even greater importance to families of children with special needs.
Last night I met a mother who has just started to home educate her older children. She has a younger child who has special needs, and she has been warned off home education by therapists and teachers who work with her son. One told her that her son needs to be in school to be socialised and that he needed to learn to sit at a desk. Both are reasonable goals, however neither is exclusively the domain of a school setting! In fact socialisation is often the main factor why many families decide to home educate. Unfortunately I am confident that neither of these professionals knows the first thing about home education, and has probably never met a home educated child, or talked to parents who home educate their child with special needs.
These ignorant, biased people need to stop and consider the messages they send families who consider home educating their children. Home education is a legal and valid educational alternative which therefore needs to be respected. Parents who are considering home educating their child with special needs must be encouraged and supported as they discern what is best for their family. Home educating these children can be difficult which these parents would no doubt be aware of! After all they support then at home and are more aware then anyone else of the challenges and strengths associated with their child.
What a wonderful thing it is for a family to be prepared to commit to the time and energy sacrifices it takes to home educate a child with special needs! Such parents do not need to be viewed as either saints in training nor as simpletons who wouldn't know the first thing about education, but as parents who only want to investigate all the options before them.
My hope is that as more families decide to go down this road less travelled, more so called professionals will become aware that home educating is the best option for some families, and as a result they will encourage those families rather than glibly assume they know what is best.
I feel sorry for those families who have been dissuaded from home education when it might have been the one thing that made a significant difference for their child. What a tragedy.
Yesterday I attended a Special Needs Mass for our diocese. Despite the fact that it was rather schooly, I enjoyed the opportunity to pray for our boys and to reflect on the challenges and joy they bring to our family.
The Mass was celebrated at the church attached to my primary school . Every time I enter this church memories come flooding back! Just being there is enough to transport me back to the feelings of my childhood.
As I waited for Mass to begin I noted that the noise level from chattering people was quite high. This would never have happened in my day! Both the nuns who taught us, and our parents instilled in us the virtue of respect and silence when in church. We simply did not talk once we entered the doors of the church. Or if we did, we paid for it! I recall our class lining up to face the principal and her leather belt in year three, as we returned from Mass. We had chatted through Mass, and so we received 2 or 3 smacks across the hand as punishment. We knew that the church was a sacred and holy place where Jesus dwelt in the Blessed Sacrament. In the 25 years since I left primary school, people seem to have lost respect for Jesus in the tabernacle. Many people talk and to few acknowledge Jesus by genuflecting or bowing.
After communion I even saw a teenage boy remove the Blessed Sacrament from his mouth, on the way back to his pew. He then slowly ate the Host with his fingers whilst sitting in his seat, next to his parents! Other braver souls then me would have approached this boy and told him why what he was doing was so offensive to them. Alas, I was not that brave soul. Like, Saint Peter, I am a coward. I did however resolve that if he placed the Blessed Sacrament in his pocket, I would not sit still.
Attending this Mass left me feeling somewhat distressed and saddened. The chatter and disrespect of the Blessed Sacrament leads me to believe that we've failed. We've failed to hold people accountable to their faith. I explain it to my children this way.
If you were in a room with the Prime Minister, and he was at the head of the room quietly waiting to speak to you and the other people assembled, you wouldn't turn your back on him to have a conversation with the person next to you! In our Catholic churches, Jesus is physically present and waiting to speak to you. Some people has lost sight of how amazing that is! Should we not give him all our attention and respect. After all He is the same God that created the universe and holds it in existence by His will. As a priest in our diocese once said, if you don't believe that Jesus is physically present, then go, because you're not Catholic.
Making friends has never been top of Koala's priority list. He certainly enjoys having friends, but he is more than happy to play on his when other children are around. For quite some time, he hasn't had anyone who he could call a friend. Hence, I have been praying that the Lord would send someone into his life that understood him, and with whom he could share the special connection that comes with having a friend. I believe that that prayer has been answered.
We have made a new connection with a lovely Christian home education family. Like us they have a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. It has been wonderful for me to be able to talk to another mum, Tanya who understands what living with ASD and home education is all about.
This week we visited Tanya and her children for the day. Tanya's son and Koala spent hours happily playing together. For children who often prefer their own company, you can imagine how happy both mums were! It was wonderful to watch them together. They both enjoy making and watching movies. Koala makes paper movies and his new friend acts out movies. I think they understood each other, which is a rare thing.
My prayer is that the children will continue to build their friendship.
Prompted by a comment from Mel, on my post The Look, I've been contemplating how to explain what Autism Spectrum Disorders are. I've been thinking about it for some weeks. Perhaps the best way to begin with a definition.
Autism Spectrum Disorders, sometimes called Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), are a range of neurological disorders that most markedly involve some degree of difficulty with communication and interpersonal relationships, as well as obsessions and repetitive behaviors. As the term "spectrum" indicates, there can be a wide range of effects. Those at the lower-functioning end of the spectrum may be profoundly unable to break out of their own world and may be described as having Kanner's autism. Those at the higher-functioning end, sometimes diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS), may be able to lead independent lives but still be awkward in their social interactions...Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified may be diagnosed when a child has autistic symptoms but does not fit into another Autistic Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. Terri Mauro.
Two of our boys have an autistic spectrum disorder. Koala has Aspergers Syndrome, and Roo has PDD-NOS. Because no two children with ASD will present in the same way, I can only comment on how ASD effects my children and our family.
When our second child Koala, was a new born we didn't notice anything different about him. Often parents of kids on the spectrum will say that there was always something that they felt wasn't quite right with their little one. Perhaps their baby wouldn't make eye contact with them, they hated to be cuddled, or the parents just had an innate sense of difference about their child.
Looking back the signs were certainly there. Koala's startle reflex lasted for months. I have a fond memory of Bilby carefully approaching his sleeping baby brother and loudly yelling at him so that he could see little Koala's arms wildly jump. Bilby would then dissolve into peals of laughter!
Koala would also shake is head from side to side at an alarming speed. He usually did this when he was tired, so I simply thought that it was just a harmless thing he did like other babies who suck their thumbs. I now know that it is called a "stim." Older children and adults with ASD often find it extremely difficult to control their stims. Some kids on the spectrum might flap their hands, others shake their heads or rock their whole bodies. Koala still shakes his head early in the morning in his sleep, without even realising it.
Koala was the perfect baby! As he grew I did become slightly concerned by his fascination with doors. Long before the age of 2 he would lie near the front door and endlessly open and close it. He loved to push our sliding wardrobe doors for very long amounts of time. If we visited McDonald's he wouldn't be playing in the playground, but pushing the heavy doors open and shut, much to the alarm of strangers who were sure he would jam his fingers in the door. He never did, as he was so focused on the movement of the door.
I had no idea then, that doors were Koala's special interest. "Special interest" is a pleasant way of saying obsession, for that is exactly what a special interest is. Kids who have a special interest will happily spend all their time on their special interest. They will talk of almost nothing else. They will drive their parents and siblings to distraction with a near constant monologue and a series of repeated questions about the love of their life, their special interest. Because kids on the autism spectrum often have poor social skills, they will talk and talk to anyone about their special interest regardless of the verbal or non-verbal cues the listener is attempting to send, as to their lack of interest!
Koala's second special interest was trains and building train tracks. We have almost the complete set of Fischer-Price Geo Trax system. Koala would spend long hours in his room constructing train tracks. Often I would attempt to play with my son. I would pull out the impressive remote controls that made realistic train sounds and try to engage my son in play. Every attempt would end in failure with Koala screaming at me to get the trains off the tracks. I couldn't understand why he didn't want to play with the wonderful engines that went with his tracks. We took him to steam train festivals, watched endless episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine and a documentary on steam trains. When other parents told me that their child was obsessed with trains too, I knew that they had no idea what being obsessed with trains meant at our house!
As I've mentioned in other posts shopping can be a disaster. I now know why. Children on the spectrum often have sensory issues. This can mean they find loud noises, certain textures, light and so forth unbearable. Most of us neuro-typicals (NTs) have a sensory issue. For me it's slimy things like wet bars of soap, messy toothpaste tubes and cockroaches. Perhaps you can't stand the feel of a woollen jumper against your skin, or the sound of finger nails scraping along a blackboard. Now imagine someone insisting that you do the thing which fills you with terror. Imagine them telling you that you're being silly, there's nothing wrong with cockroaches, or whatever it is. How would you react? Multiply that by 100 and you have some idea of why kids on the spectrum have meltdowns over things the NT world tells them are "silly."
A meltdown is not the same as a tantrum. Young children have tantrums in an effort to get what they want. Kids on the spectrum do this too, but a meltdown is something different altogether. Perhaps a better way to describe a meltdown is a neuro-logical storm. A meltdown can seem to come out of no where. They are often caused by sensory issues, like the unbearable feel of the seam of a sock. They can be violent and long lasting. Any thinking person can see that a child in the throws of a meltdown has little or no control of their behaviour. The look on their faces speaks of sheer terror. (In this blog post I touch on the intensity of meltdowns and our journey with Koala.)
In our home many of Koala's meltdowns have often been the result of Theory of Mind problems. Theory of Mind is a complex thing, but basically it means the ability to understand that someone else does not have the same desires, ideas and feelings as you. Kids on the spectrum often assume you know what they are thinking. Stop and think for a minute of the implications!
Thankfully, Roo does not have meltdowns. He does have an ear piercing scream he uses when things don't go his way, but this is mainly due to him not being able to be understood when he attempts to speak. Roo's main challenges are centred around speech and language. Once he is able to communicate verbally I believe that he will be as "normal" as the next child! I have always thought of Roo as the icing on our family cake!
While low muscle tone isn't necessary for a diagnosis of Aspergers, many children with Aspergers have tone problems and general clumsiness. Koala didn't walk until he was 21 months old. All his gross motor milestones were very late. As a baby I bought him a pair of slippers with Mr. Bump on them. Koala had an almost permanent bump on his left temple. My young cousins, after having a cuddle with Koala, would attempt to put him down as they would with any other baby. Koala would simply hit the floor! Many a time I would open the door of the car and Koala would fall out, hitting his head on the curb. His muscles couldn't react quick enough to break his fall.
I have only scratched the surface of what ASD means for our family. I haven't mentioned the significant social difficulties; food issues; literal interpation of language; eye contact; anxiety or how all this impacts on our eldest son, Bilby. But I have provided a small window into our family which I hope will give you some idea od what ASD can look like.
I am thankful that Koala is a joy to educate. Like most kids with Aspergers Koala is very intelligent. He's well on the way to becoming the only natural speller in our family! He also has a great love of his faith. He will happily share treats without being asked, and always thinks of others feelings.
Much of the above seems to paint a less than cheery picture of life with a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. But I feel that our lives have been made much richer because of our sons' challenges. I have learnt patience beyond anything I thought I possessed. I have failed miserably many times, but the Lord has shown me time and time again, that I must lean on him when I think I cannot go on.
Lastly, I urge you to view this moving and thought provoking movie, made by autistic woman, Amanda Baggs.
This article touched my heart today. Many people assume that having a child with special needs is a burden often too difficult to be borne, for parents, much less for siblings. Reading Marie-Claire's article, could change their minds!
This year has been a particularly difficult one for our family.
At the beginning of the school year I had what I thought was the perfect plan for the year which I had loving laboured over for many months! I have always been a devote of creating timetables, and schedules, many of which were rarely used, but I had spent so much time on this one, that I was sure it would be different. Our youngest Roo, was three and a half, and I reasoned that things would start to improve as he was older and because I was sure that his language would begin to blossom. We had none the less decided to take him to a paediatrician, just to be sure that his lack of language was simply that, a language delay rather than autism. Before the visit I occasionally wondered how I would react if the paediatrician thought that he did have ASD (autism spectrum disorder) or some other nameless problem. As I was fairly confident that this wouldn't be the case, I figured that I would worry about that if it happened.
The visit did not go well. The Doctor thought Roo was not simply slow to develop language. She noted his non-functional play, which I was shocked to realise, I had failed to even notice. Roo displayed his normal fascination with light switches and pushing buttons. This of course had slightly bothered me, but as it wasn't obsessive I had wasn't too worried. The Doctor talked about her concerns that he might have ASD, but that she would conduct a more through screening in 6 months. She believed that Roo was showing signs of Global Development Delay. I left her rooms feeling numb.
Roo and I went to a nearby fast food outlet for a play, and a much needed coffee for me. Unable to hold in the tears any longer, I sat inside a piece of the play equipment and sobbed. When Koala was diagnosed with Aspergers, it was a relief to finally be able to put a name to that which we knew, made our son different. But this came right out of left field. As I knew a little more than the average Joe about autism, I reasoned that Roo couldn't be on the spectrum because he had great eye contact; he didn't have meltdowns; he displayed no glaring sensory issues and so on. So I reasoned that if was more than likely not ASD, it must just be a speech delay.
So my carefully crafted plans began to slide as I started to come to terms with the possibility of having a second child with special needs. I already knew that Roo's lack of language was an issue, I just hadn't realised how much of a challenge it was going to be. I slowing began to understand that he wasn't just going to start talking in sentences one morning! As I dealt with speech therapy, early intervention and so forth, I slowly began to strip our home education plans down to the bare essentials.
I shamefully began to realise that in planning what I thought was the perfect academic year, I hadn't left much room for God. I was leaning to heavily on what I wanted without stopping to think that perhaps God had other plans. I had foolishly thought that this year would be wonderful as I had dealt with Koala's diagnoses, successfully brought him home from school, and now I was ready to settle into an uneventful year, following my beautiful schedule complete with Latin, French, Shakespeare and so on! I felt like the Lord was gently tapping me on the shoulder saying "There's no such thing as a perfect year. Let me help you my child."
Roo has had a great year, thus far. At the beginning of the year he was unable to put two words together without them disintegrating. He is now able to put three, sometimes four words together, in such a manner that those closest to him are able to comprehend his meaning. I feel confident that he will indeed talk as other children do, it will just take a lot longer!
I am now beginning to learn, and accept, that our family bears little resemblance to most other home educating family I know. I would like to attend more home education events, but I know that for now we have to limit what we are able to do because of Roo's behaviour. I'm learning to relax my dreams and expectations of Roo's education. He will probably attend school for a few years. It's not what I thought would happen, but I'm learning that sometimes "what we recon, and what we get aren't always the same thing!'" (That's a quote from the movie "Romulus My Father.") I'm learning that living in a family means that one must juggle the needs of every family member, and if that means a mix of school and home education, then that's what's best for us at this time. Most of all I'm learning to lean more on the Lord and to trust that he has everything under control. I'm attempting to leave the meticulous planning to Him!
I wrote this piece for a Catholic homeschool newsletter in early 2008.
Homeschooling was something I had always been interested in, but I did wonder if I would ever have the patience to actually do it! But as our son who was in year one, began to show signs of struggling academically and generally being unhappy, we started to consider our options more closely. Noises were being made by teachers that Bilby needed to be tested for learning difficulties because he rarely finished his work and was easily distracted. This unsettled me, as I didn’t want him to be labelled when he was so young. I also knew that most of his difficulties could be attributed to the distractions inherent of a teacher student ratio of 1:26. I was also disappointed that although he was attending a Catholic school, very few of his classmates attended Mass. Good friends of ours with a child the same age as Bilby told us that when their daughter gave a speech about the rosary, she was ridiculed by some children. Alarm bells started ringing. Incidentally this family have also decided to homeschool. We wanted our children to be immersed in their faith and not have to feel like the odd ones out for living a Christian life.
I lived and breathed homeschooling for six months before I was willing to make a firm commitment. This was such a huge decision for all of us that I didn’t want to rush into it only to throw up my hands and quit in term one. For me this would be a permanent decision, and I wanted to be as prepared as possible.
After much angst we decided to bring Bilby home right away rather than wait and see if things improved. I was very apprehensive, but also extremely excited. What excited me most was the faith journey we would take. Like many of my generation who are Catholic and had been educated in Catholic schools, there was much that I was ignorant of. My faith had recently begun to blossom after having attended a Celebrate Love weekend with my husband, and a Cursillo weekend. I had finally made a conscience decision to leap into my faith. I knew that homeschooling would only deepen my commitment and understanding of my faith. And so our journey began. For the first time in my life I felt like I was exactly where God wanted me. After years of trying to find my place, as it were, I was deliciously content. Swimming against the stream had never felt so right.
We had made the decision to bring only one child home. Our second son Koala had just started kinder and loved every minute. We had two reasons for keeping him at school. The first being that he seemed to enjoy it so much, however the second reason troubled me a little more. I just didn’t think that I would be able to cope with him all day, every day. Koala had always been more of a challenge than our two other children. He was very easily upset and was generally a hand full. As time progressed things seemed to get worse rather than better. So it was easier to have a peaceful day and send him to school.
During term two I approached Koala’s teacher to inquire about his behaviour at school, as he had become quite difficult at home. She reported that he was an angel at school, but that she had noticed some things that were concerning her. I casually commented that I often wondered if he was autistic, but would then dismiss it because he did do so many things that autistic children could not. Her next comment marked a turning point in our lives. " He’s certainly not autistic, but I have wondered if he could have Asperger Syndrome." When he was a toddler, I had had almost the same conversation with a friend who was studying to become a teacher, but I had taken no further action. Now it could no longer be conveniently forgotten. We no longer had the luxury of thinking that he was just a little more eccentric than other children.
What followed was the most difficult year of my life, thus far. I began to read anything I could get my hands on about Aspergers. I instantly recognised Koala in the descriptions of Aspergers. This gave me both a sense of relief and fear. Relief at the possibility of finally getting some answers and concrete help for our little boy, to intense grief at the loss that Aspergers then represented to me. My faith gave me strength, as I firmly believed that the Lord would not have given us Koala if he didn’t think we could do a good enough job! Even though I came close to doubting his choice at times.
Both my husband and I drew great comfort from a close friend who prayed with us during this time of waiting. Each of us had a strong feeling that Jesus had a special plan for our boy. We could picture Jesus tenderly embracing Koala, and surrounding him with his divine love. This image gave me great strength at my lowest points.
Koala was diagnosed with mild Aspergers three days before we embarked on a 400km move! The roller coaster ride began. We finally knew why he wasn’t like other kids, which helped us tremendously in parenting him. With each new book I read I began to feel as if I was getting to know what made my son tick. However, reading those books was very difficult. Every time I encountered the word "disability" I physically recoiled.
At home things steadily got worse. Koala had intense meltdowns. He would scream, throw things and hurl verbal and physical abuse at all the family. I still bear a scar from one of his meltdowns during Mass. Most Masses were a complete disaster. I often wondered if our family would be able to withstand the difficulties that Campbell’s behaviour presented. There were many times when James or I would have to leave the room during a meltdown to weep. We even lost who we thought were close friends because they were unwilling to accept that Koala’s behaviour was the result of Aspergers, not poor parenting.
Despite these challenges thoughts of homeschooling him were still constantly on my mind. Most of my conversations with close friends would soon turn to this topic. I’m certain that I bored them to tears, although they were gracious enough to listen to the same concerns time and time again without complaint! I couldn’t imagine how I could possibly bring him home and manage in safety. But I also knew that many people did homeschool Aspergers children and reported that their children’s behaviour dramatically improved as a result.
As his behaviour deteriorated, and my confidence in homeschooling and my understanding of Aspergers improved, I began to think that things couldn’t get worse even with him at home. We were ready to trust what others who had been down our road had said. That it would be easier. We decided to try homeschooling him. I was learning to trust in my abilities and to lean on the Lord. The Scripture "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me." often came to mind. All the same I was scared witless!
Koala has been home for three terms. It would not be an exaggeration to say that we have a different child. The meltdowns have all but ceased and he no longer chews his clothes or become physically ill due to anxiety. The anxiety of the school environment was undoubtedly the cause of his negative behaviour. He was able to hold it all together at school, but once home, he released all the anxiety that had built up over the day. He is now a happy little boy once again. One regret I have is that we didn’t bring him home sooner.
I am now at peace with his diagnosis. Many of the things we dearly love about Koala can be attributed to Aspergers. He looks at the world in a unique way. He has a wonderful sense of humour.
People with Aspergers are very literal in their interpretation of language. Upon asking Bilby to keep an eye open for something, Koala asked if he could use two eyes! Or another time when I was purchasing a coffee, he asked why there were three different size cups on the counter. After explaining that coffee was a drink for grown-ups and that they were the three sizes you could buy, he asked if the smallest cup was for short grown-ups!
His intense (some would say obsessive) interest of the moment is penguins. Consequently we all know lots about penguins. We also share our home with 15 or more toy penguins of varying size! I share our story in the hope that it may encourage someone who is considering homeschooling a child with special needs. Often these are the children who most need to be educated at home, away from the bullies and pressures of school. As parents I think we need to believe that we are the experts when it comes to our children. We also need to trust that if the Lord places something on our heart, that He will give us everything we need to fulfil His perfect plan for our lives.
