Canadian Down Syndrome Awareness Week: The Little School that Could!

This is a little off topic tonight but I'd love to share the story of my older daughter T's basketball team. This is the kind of community that K will grow up in. They say it takes a village to raise a child & I'm proud to call this village mine! The spirit is incredible & it is just the kind of community that will help guide & support K & teach her that anything is possible.

Again, this is being posted late.  I wrote this last spring & forgot to hit post. I hope you enjoy the story of The Little School That Could!

People often don't really understand them I tell them how small our school is. We have 8 junior high girls - that's it, just 8 & that's a pretty average year. In order to have a team for volleyball or basketball everyone has to play.

Our older 3 girls also ski race & weekends like this one are hard. It the finals for basketball & my girls know they need to be responsible to the team however T is having a great ski race season too. She started out the season with a gold medal finish & has continued to place fairly well for the most part although just at the last race she slipped into 3rd place. This weekend is a 2 day race at a hill she enjoys & tends to do well at. It would be a great opportunity to move back up on the standings................ but she'll be playing basketball. T will make the Sunday race when basketball is done but will not start on Saturday.

Because of the small size of our school & the fact that everyone plays the team is always made up of girls of all shapes & sizes. One is tall but 3/4 are under 5 feet. Some are athletic & love sports while others might prefer a different pastime were they not so needed & appreciated. We also always have one of the younger teams as our team is made up of a mixture of  Jr. high students & often a few are pulled up from middle school just to have enough to make a team. All the girls though regardless of size, age ability, & any other factor that could affect the success of a junior high basketball team are just that. A part of the team. In fact, they are part of one of the 2 smallest schools on the league &........part of a undefeated basketball team!!!!!!

All through the regular season & now past the first level of the playoffs they have not lost a game.

There is a local round of playoffs then one higher level. It is day one of the 2nd level championship & they won again!

What is remarkable to me is that you would not look at this team & think "Wow - they look so competitive" because they don't but they have played much bigger, competitive looking teams & won.

As the girls made their way through the regular season win after win & then into the post season I've pondered. Why are they able to pull off win after win?

- they have truly become a team

- the girls communicate well

- they've known each other since they started school & are so familiar with each other that they often seem to just know where their teammates are on the court at any given time.

- they have coaches who believe in them

- I truly believe that a part of it has to be the parents & community too. This final round of games is at a town that is over 2 hours from home. The 14 players are being accompanied by 13 parents. My husband would have been number 14 but we had to conquer & divide this weekend as our oldest daughter is playing in the high school basketball finals. The only reason that the kids outnumber the parents is that several families have 2 kids playing. It is this way any time there is a school event - our kids know we are there for them. When we are at an away game & still have the largest cheering section. I'm sure our kids hear us & know how strongly we support them & our school.

Besides that, I'm really not sure why they are doing as well as they are but what I do know is that it's the spirit of cooperation & teamwork that has brought them this far. They are a wonderful example of what can happen when everyone learns to work together & has the full support of a tiny but powerful community behind them!

Todays the final day. Wish us luck!

Footnote:  the girls continued to play amazingly well but lost their first & final game at the same time.  They played a very good game & it was close but exhaustion was setting in after playing with such a small team all weekend & they were up against a team with an overflowing bench who had 40 girls come for tryouts!  Well played girls - 2nd place is amazing & we are all so incredibly proud of you!

Please don't assume................

I've been debating for a week or two whether to write about this or not.  It's not the sort of subject I usually talk about but it keeps coming back into my thoughts so I think that means that I need to share this story. 

As I wandered through the grocery store one afternoon(probably trying to find real food in the land of artificial & convenience) I noticed a lady in a wheelchair struggling with the bathroom door which happens to be a very heavy one. An employee offered to help & she graciously accepted.  The employee held open the door the lady entered the bathroom & expressed her appreciation.  All's well.......but then it happened. The helpful employee reminded her to lock the door after herself!!!! I was astonished.  In a single "helpful moment she unknowingly & effectively reduced a capable, independent adult who only needed a hand with a heavy door into a child.


..............................& I wonder why people underestimate my child?

How do you deal with people putting limits on or making assumptions about your child or loved one's abilities?

"We all can dance" Canadian Down Syndrome Awareness Week

This is my last post for Canadian Down Syndrome Awareness week.  After this week of posts plus a back to back attempt at  31 for 21, I think I'm ready for a short break! I saved this post for the last day because I think it is fitting.  I hope you enjoy it!

I randomly picked this book at the library a few weeks ago.   The picture looked cute & K had been reading a nonfiction book about giraffes, so I thought it would be fun to read a fictional story too. I had no idea what a wonderful message this book would have.

 

How often do you hear that kids with Down syndrome can't do_____________? If you have been reading my blog for very long, you probably realize that I have no patience for people who put limitations on my daughter's abilities.
 for
Gerald the Giraffe would love to be able to dance like the other animals, but is discouraged because  he is so clumsy.

   

A wise cricket helps Gerald realize that he can dance just as beautifully 

as the other animals, he "just needs a different song"

 

Isn't that a great message? my daughter's healthy diet, the early learning we have done as well as the neurodevelopmental program the we have done with K have allowed her to dance far beyond the what would be expected of a 5 year old with an extra chromosome, & in some areas, far beyond a typical 5 year old with the usual 46. She is dancing, she is soaring & she is singing along as the music plays!

I recently got a chance to go for coffee with a mom who I've previously only met on line. I admire this other mom for her dedication & energy to not only her daughter's well being but towards other DS projects. She is a great support to others & is helping to get a lot of information out to other parents & to bring them together.

My friend's daughter is also doing a neurodevelopmental program & while she believes it is beneficial, the biggest results she sees haven't been from her neurodevelomental program.  The various supplements & vitamins her daughter uses have made a much bigger difference in her development. 

I'm sure the "music", whether it be a neurodevelopmental program, vitamins, a diet free of gluten, dairy,  a certain therapy or therapist etc, is different for every child,  but I believe every child, with or without an extra chromosome, can dance, we just need to help them find the music that they love!

31 for 21 - More Light at the End of the Tunnel

It's 1:26 am - a rare night out with my husband & a few other couples. Technically I've missed today's 31 for 21 post but even though it's really late, I want to quickly share today's events. Oh my, I'm tearing up again! I'm so proud of K.   She started swimming lessons again today. I was holding my breath a little as she got started because she had a bit of a rough start with her lessons this summer & although we had figured it out & resolved the problem I still had some nagging worries. I know I shouldn't but I did...............K aced it today. I could not have asked for a better behaved little girl & although she was only about chest high to the rest of the kids in her class who all happened to be 1 or 2 years older, she fit right in skill wise. According to her instructor, "She did great!"

The light at the end of the tunnel is looking more beautiful every day!

Back to School Thoughts

K headed back to school last week. I am having some mixed feeling this year.  She turned 5 about 3 months ago so is eligible for kindergarten but we have decided to wait one more year before starting.

Academically there is no reason for holding her back & it seems strange to me to see many of her little buddies, both in person & online head to kindergarten without her.  However, there are a number of reason for waiting.  Physically she is on the small side & not able to run as quickly as her same age peers.  K's speech is good & improving by the day, but is also not equal to that of most of her peers. I often think she is less mature than many kids her age although after spending a couple of days with her class I had to wonder at times! lol

My husband & I also wrestled with the question of whether or not to hold back one of our older daughters.  This particular daughter was born in mid December.  KJ was the only one of my kids who I wished would have been born 5 or 6 days late rather than a week early - this would have put her birthday in January & solved my concerns by missing the cutoff. I would have even put up with an extra week of  pregnancy - a 8.5 months of morning sickness type of pregnancy!

While looking into the option of holding back KJ, we researched as well as talked to a lot of parents. We talked to a number of parents who regretted sending their kids early but I have yet to talk to a parent who wished they hadn`t held their child back.

I believe that holding KJ back allowed her to be more confident & become a leader within her class.  School work has also come easily to her as it did her big sisters who were both born in the early months of the year.

This article on kindergarten readiness sums up what I feel as well.

 My expectation is that K will do everything that her peers will do in school & I feel that giving her one more year to prepare will help her to succeed. Once she starts kindergarten we will not hold her back as we feel it will be best for her to stay with the same bunch of friends that she starts with.

I admit to having another motive for holding K back. Her neurodevelopmental program takes quite a bit of time & by holding K back we will have one more year to concentrate on it.  The program has allowed her to progress much more quickly than any mainstream program so another year will be great.  Of course we will continue to do a neurodevelopmental program when she is in school but once she hits grade 1 it will not be possible to focus nearly the same amount of time on it.

As an added bonus, I get to enjoy having her at home for an extra year:) ..........Yes, it's hard for me to see my baby grow up sometimes even though we have worked with K practically since she was born to prepare her to be independent. 

We are so pleased that we are able to offer a preschool in our tiny community. It is organized & run by the parents who hire a teacher & fund raise to be able to keep fees very reasonable, buy toys & supplies etc. The preschool had a bit of a glitch with getting a teachers aide in place for the start of school on Monday so as president & founder of the organization, I was asked to step in as a parent volunteer to help get preschool up & running smoothly. 

After being able to spend 2 days in the classroom, I am confident that we made the right choice. My biggest concern at this point is still about K being bored when the other kids are working on academic concepts that are much to easy for K. For example, they did one activity involving placing some little glass stones on letters on the coconut tree from the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom story. K's boredom became evident in her refusal to cooperate partway through the game.  She was eventually persuaded to join in again but wasn't thrilled with the idea.  Next they identified numbers from 1 to 10 & although this is equally simple for her, the fact that they swatted the numbers with a modified fly swatter made it so much fun that she had a blast.

K did well in gym class although she is often the first one to follow when another child is running around out of turn or jumping, playing etc when they aren't supposed to be.  For the vast majority of the time though she is doing well.  The extra year (& probably our summer running program) has made quite a difference in her ability to keep up with the others.  She also quickly understands the games they play & joins in easily.

I even notice little things like the fact that she isn't always the last in line on the way back from the gym as she often was in past years & that she is much more self disciplined about eating her sandwich before her snack at lunch time. 

Most importantly she seems to have really overcome her shyness & is playing well with the other kids in her class.  K has spent much more time with older kids & adults & in the past & because of that, has been a little more reserved with kids her own age.  It was wonderful to see her join in when the other kids were playing with horses & to initiate playing dress up.

Batter Up, Up, Up, & Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was one of those days when I know we have made (mostly) the right choices for K.  Her neurodevelopmental program, supplements as well as the stimulation of a busy family are helping K to reach her full potential.

K started T-ball today.

Her aim was pretty good in batting practice.

Catching was probably the hardest the hardest skill for her.  She caught some of the balls, although with a group of 3 & 4 year olds, you can imagine how many balls hit the ground & flew in all directions!

They had a running base practice & she did well at that too, tagging every base as she went by & remembering which was 1st, 2nd, 3rd & home & stopping on whichever base she was told to.

The only point in the whole entire practice that I think someone may have picked her out of the group was when she & 2 other little girls ran across the length of 2 ball diamonds & she was about 20 feet behind by the time the arrived at the other side of the field.

The things that stood out in my mind though?  My once shy little girl never once needed her mom & didn't even look for me. In a whole new group of people, K was so confidant & self assured out there!   She went with the group to every station to practice each new skill.  She listened to the instructions so well & never got distracted even once.  If I didn't know better, I would never have guessed this was her first practice.

All of the hard work that K & our family has done for the last few years is paying off & I was so proud as I watched my independent little girl tonight!

................&  in case you are curious, no, I did not mention on the sign up forms that she has trisomy 21.  It is likely that some of the organizers knew because we live in such a small community, but I didn't feel it was relevant & the sign up sheet only asked about medical things & she does not have any medical concerns that would affect her playing T-ball. I am sure that at least one of the coaches had no idea & the one that did has known her since she was born.

Tonight, I am going to bed content.  Yes, we still have work to do, but today was another wonderful reminder that we are on the right path.

Another Question Post on Reading

Hi, I have a 3.5 year old son with DS that we adopted last year. He spent the first 2+ years of his life in an orphanage. Where do I start teaching him to read? He loves books, and loves to learn. His attention span is amazing for all things educational. My problem is knowing what to do and having the right amount of material to cover. I feel inadequate, the more I read, the more confused I get. I just need the bottom line, Thanks!

Congrats on your adoption! 

Don't worry about doing it "wrong".  Any extra stimulation he gets is going to be beneficial. I am so busy, especially in the winter that very often I am not able to be nearly as consistent as I would like, however I am still so thrilled with K's progress. 

If he already loves books, that is a big help, & a good attention span in wonderful.  Just make sure you quit when he is still enjoying it so that learning stays fun. When you read to him, run your finger under the words to help bring his attention to the text as well as to help him become familiar with the individual words.  

Flashcards are wonderful for a visual learner, which most kids with DS are, so of course I would start there. Have you tried Little Reader yet? Their flashcards have wonderful, clear concise pictures & many are free. The above link sends you to the details of their special needs discount which they are VERY generous with. 

As for the amount of material to cover, I don't think there is an exact right or wrong.  You have to consider his interests, enjoyment & as you mentioned, attention span.  In the beginning, when K was only about 6 months old, I did sets of 10 or 12 flashcards (word & pic) & showed them  about 3 times a day, but as K seemed to learn faster, I gradually moved up to an average of 45 words per week. 

If you haven't been to the Unlimited Potential forum yet, this is a great resources thread.  There are lots of resources mentioned that will be very helpful.

Have you checked out my important posts page yet?  It's a work in progress, but I'm trying to compile a section on teaching reading tips.

Lastly, have very high expectations for your little boy. Give him lots of input, lots of exercise, explain things, & most of all enjoy him!

If you want anymore specifics, please ask away:)

My Reasons For Teaching My Child to Read

 The question "If you had only the length of an elevator ride to explain why you are teaching your child, what would you say?" was asked on a forum which does have some other parents of kids with Trisomy 21, but is mainly composed of parents of typical children who are keenly interested in all areas of early learning.

My reply is probably going to be very different than many of the parents here.  When I first started teaching my daughter, my goal was for her to be able to read at a beginning level by grade one.  She has far exceeded my expectations & taught me so much more than I have ever taught her.

When K was born with Down syndrome 4.5 years ago, several well meaning doctors & nurses told me that she would probably be very happy & love music.  They tried to be encouraging, but their expectations were very low.  It wasn't until I got home & started researching on the internet that I learned about a very small minority of parents who were teaching their kids with DS to read.  I honestly found it difficult to believe & more than once I have admitted   that if, 5 years ago, you had told me that your child with DS was reading at almost a 4th grade level at 4.5 years, I would have politely said " Oh, that's wonderful." & probably walked away snickering. As I said, my daughter has taught me a lot!

I really didn't believe it, but I was intrigued enough, that by the time K was 8 months old, I had built her a Doman style crawling track & to that same doctor's surprise & disbelief (he had to see it before he would believe it), she was crawling! I was so excited by that success, that at around the same time, I started showing K the large, red, Doman style flashcards. Of course, ever the skeptic, I really had my doubts, so I was a "closet flash card Mom" for the longest time, but sure enough, just a few months after K's first birthday, she began showing me that she was learning some of the words!  She knew many sight words & had self taught herself all of the letters & sounds of the alphabet by age 2. She read her first commercial print book that we had not practiced at age 3.5.

Back to my goals - I had originally hoped K would read by grade 1.  I had 2 reasons for this:

1. I wanted the teachers to see a little girl who had potential to learn just like the other students in her class & I wanted them to have very high expectations because the higher the expectations, the more success a child will have.

2.  I wanted K to be able to pick up her books & read the directions, so that if she didn't understand or hear the teacher properly, then at least she could read & try to figure it out for herself.  She is already doing this by the way - she reads her math workbook instructions all the time.

Now, at age 4.5, my concerns have changed.  We have always planned to hold K back in school (as we did her older sister who was born in December), to allow her to have one more year of maturing as well as physical growth because she is quite tiny.  Rather than worrying about her keeping up, at least in the early years of school, I am worried about her being bored - it is a funny dilemma & one that I look forward to working on.

My reasons for teaching her are still the same though.  I want her teachers to see that she has just as much potential as any other student & therefore, they need to have very high expectations. Also, although K speaks well for her age, she is not speaking as well as most typical kids her age. When the other kids in kindergarten are learning that the letter A say aaa, & she is already reading novels, I anticipate that she can work on catching up on speech.

I hope it's a long elevator ride, because I wrote a bit of a novel!

Laura

I just wanted to add to this a little bit. When I talked about goals, I missed at least one. I also was hoping that by teaching K to read from an early age that she would become proficient enough that reading wouid be a joy - not a chore for her. All 3 of her older sisters, as well as myself love reading. To the point where my daughters, like their mother before them, often get caught reading in bed. The subject of reading in math or science class has also come up recently during a parent-teacher conference(thankfully, we are not dealing with any worse behavioral issues:), & I turned to my dear husband & told him that he would have to be responsible for speaking with the offender. As a not exactly reformed sneaking a book into my desk offender myself, I just didn't feel I was responsible enough to deal with the situation. LOL! This is what I wanted for K, a true joy & voracious appetite for books & thankfully, I am confident already that I'll be confiscating her flashlights at bed time one day too!

The New Unlimited Potential Forum is Going Strong!

In case you are unaware, there is a new forum dedicated to helping parents who are interested in a neurodevelopmental approach to helping their children achieve their full potential. Other topics include supplements, nutrition, early learning & any other (mostly non mainstream) therapies that parents are interested in.  The forum just got started this fall & already has almost 120 members! It is a public group & a very supportive bunch, so please feel welcome to join.
Hope to see you at the Unlimited Potential forum!

Look What I Can Do All By Myself!

Today, I had a little time to waste while waiting for winter tires to be put on my truck.  I really didn't need much for groceries, but thought this would be a good time to try out an idea that I had read about recently.  I'm not 100% sure, but I think I might have read about this idea on Geraldine's blog The Down Syndrome Action Plan.  Today was K's first, mostly independent shopping trip. It was a great way to incorporate reading into an activity which required thinking, memory & learning new skills.

I didn't think of this ahead of time, so I quickly scribbled down 

a few items on a scrap piece of paper. Here is her list:

 

....and off she goes! Sorry for the terrible picture.  Next time, 

I'll have to remember to take more than one. I think the little carts are adorable!

Some of the items were a difficult for K to reach, so I did help a little.  Next time, I'll be prepared with a list for her ahead of time that included things that are easier for her to reach, but all in all, it was a great first experience.

31 for 21 - Happy Thanksgiving! 21 things that I am thankful for..................

Many of my American readers & friends are probably wondering why I am posting this today!  Here in Canada, it is Thanksgiving already this weekend, so.............

Happy Thanksgiving!



I thought I would celebrate today by posting a list of 21 things that I am thankful for.

1. My family has to be first on this list.  We celebrated with 18 family members this weekend!  Some of them drove from as far as 10 hours away to share the weekend with us.  I have been very blessed to have a wonderful family.

2. The wonderful feast we had this weekend including our home grown fresh veggies, wild mountain blueberry pie & my brother's free range "Happy Meat" organic turkey.

3. I am thankful that we live in a safe place.

4. This has been the most beautiful fall that I can remember.  Usually my garden is done by the 2nd week of September at the absolute latest - I still have some baby lettuce out there right now!

5. I am so thankful for each of my 4 daughters & the unique talents & abilities each of them has. 

6. We live on a farm & I am very thankful for the wonderful experiences & lessons that go along with rural life.

7.  My children go to a very tiny school creating a unique & wonderful contribution to their upbringing. 

8. I have so much respect for my daughter's teachers, staff & wonderful principal.

9.  I am grateful for a group of moms who helped me hire a teacher & start a preschool so that our kids can go to preschool in our community just like their older siblings.

10. I am so glad that thanks to the internet, I found a wealth of information including neurodevelopmental therapy.

11.  Although my stubborn nature probably annoys people sometimes ( read "my husband & kid"s).  It allows me to be determined enough to get things done & not accept any one's limitations of myself or my kids & although it is sometimes annoying to me, I am glad that my daughter`s have all seemed to inherit it.

12.  I am thankful for the awesome moms (& a few dads )that Down syndrome has led me to develop friendships with.

13.  This was a beautiful October day so we enjoyed a wonderful campfire with the kids.

14. I am thankful for a bountiful garden this year.

15. I am grateful for the now non existent, Childbrain forum which first led me to believe that I did not have to accept the stereotypical limitations that are often associated with Down syndrome.

16. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband & the fact that he  agrees with & supports doing an ND program with K.

17.  I live in a wonderful community that will move mountains when we feel it is necessary to do so.

19. I am so grateful to K for teaching me that we must not judge people by any preconceived notions.

20. I am thankful today as I often am for this amazing journey that K has led us on for the last 4 years & that she is showing me what an amazing kid she is.

21. I am grateful for the 31 for 21 challenge which is making me be more committed & consistent with my blog & to all of you for reading.

New Forum

This just a quick note to let you know that there is a new forum called Unlimited Potential. It is for parents of children who are interested in using a neurodevelopmental approach as well as other alternative rherapies to helping their children achieve their full potential.

Here is the link:

http://community.babycenter.com/groups/a6729133/unlimited_potential

Up Up & away..................

Over the last few months, since I started my blog, I have noticed a number of times, that people have found my blog (or probably went looking for it) by googling "up, up & away with Down syndrome"  I'm not complaining really.  I really appreciate that they were interested enough to search for my blog.  I just can't help but think about how that sounds -  the "away with down syndrome" part.  Again, I'm really pleased that people are interested in my blog, but I just felt that I should let everyone know what I was thinking when I chose that name.

I don't want to do away with Down syndrome, but I want to give my daughter the ability to overcome the stereotypical limitations that this condition has traditionally put on people.  I want people to know that she has Down syndrome, and that she is this incredible person - I want my daughter to shatter people's expectations.

 Most of you who have been reading my blog likely realize that I have very high expectations of my daughter.   What I was trying to do when I chose this name was to say that the sky is the limit for my daughter.  I refuse to put limits on her & I refuse to have anything but the highest expectations.  And one day, as I fight back tears from a tumultuous mix of emotions - proud, happy, sad, all at the same time, I fully expect her to wave goodbye as she flies up, up, up & away and towards a new and independent life.

Expect. Don't accept.

This is a wonderful speech given by Paul Daugherty about his daughter with Down syndrome & the high expectations he & his wife have for her. It is a wonderful read.

http://www.xavier.edu/familyresiliency/paul-daugherty-keynote.cfm

Up, Up, & Away..........

............but not with Down syndrome...............A few people have googled my blog & found it by typing in "away with Down syndrome".  I'm  not complaining - really, I really do appreciate that they care enough to look for my blog & read my thoughts, but I thought I should take this moment to explain what I meant when I titled my blog this way. 
 I don't want  to do away with Down syndrome, I want my daughter to be known as this awesome kid who, (as an afterthought) just happens to have Down syndrome.  I want people to realize that DS is really not the important part of who she is & I want people to realize that my daughter, & most people with DS are not the stereotypical person that many people picture in their minds when they hear that diagnosis.  And sometimes.......?  I just want to say "Look - my daughter can do (insert list here) that your "perfect" child can't."  OK, I'm ranting now, I know, but low expectations & stereotyping can be the worst enemy of a child with DS and I tend to get a little passionate about the subject.

As many of you who have been reading my blog realize, I have very  high expectations for my daughter.  Up, Up, & Away refers to the  fact that I feel the sky is the limit for her.  Only she can tell me if she will have any limitations in life.  At risk of being that Mom who has unrealistic expectations or can't accept reality, I will not accept any one's opinion about my daughter's future but her own.  She will show me what she can do in life and I have no doubt that one day, with my eyes filled with tears of joy, pride & a little sadness, I will wave goodbye to K as I did with her big sisters before her, as she heads out to live an independent life.

I have  no crystal ball, I could be wrong in my predictions, but I won't take the goal of a full & independent life or any other dreams away from her - it is not my right as a mother to do that, especially when the child I am talking about is only 4 years old.

My Daughter

This is my response to this statement. I never would have guessed my child with Ds...


Would open my eyes to so many new & interesting things.

Would be the most curious child I know.

Would be able to learn hundreds of signs, yet give up signing in favor of speech at age 3.

Would be her own advocate so early in life.

Would, at age 4, already insist I leave the bathroom so she can have her privacy.

Would teach me more than any adult ever has.

Would rule our house.

Would be able to read books at such a young age.

Would love the color yellow.

Would bring out this much pride, awe & amazement in me.

Would be my hero.

Labels & a Call to Action

Please check out Geralyn's blog post - She makes some wonderful points.  Perhaps someone has some solutions:

http://thedownsyndromeactionplan.blogspot.com/2011/05/call-to-action.html


My concerns about labels are similar - labels give us an excuse to treat our kids a certain way:

http://downsyndromeupupupandaway.blogspot.com/2011/04/gifted-advanced-high-functioning-low.html

Now this is inspiration!

This video was posted on a list serve that I am on last week. I can't believe that I almost forgot to share it here! This is truly an inspiring video:

http://www.veras.org.br/video-ana-carol.asp?Area=fotos

Gifted, advanced, high functioning. low functioning......labels or excuses?

I really don't like any of those words.  They are labels and whether one's perception of these words is good or bad, they are still labels & categorize the people they describe.  Labels give parents an excuse to treat their child in certain ways.

The other day someone told me they thought my daughter is reading because she is very high functioning.  I in no way want to take the credit away from my daughter for how well she is doing, but I also have to ask myself:  "Is she reading & learning other concepts so quickly because she is "high functioning" or is she "high functioning " because we gave her the opportunity to read (amongst other things) & consequently to learn so many basic facts, as well as the improved speech that came along with that.

Last week I read a comment on a forum by a parent whose typical son is also reading at 3 years of age.  I  had to giggle when I read about how someone told him that his child could read only because he was "gifted", and that typical children could not learn to read at age 3. I'm still giggling as I type this, while my own "gifted child" is occupying herself nearby reading a book.

That parent said that their child couldn't learn to read because they weren't gifted.  Are these excuses?  My child can't do this because they are not high functioning or only gifted children can learn to read this young.
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Sorry if I sound harsh, but I think sometimes labels are an excuse for not giving it a try.  Don't get me wrong, if you aren't intereseted in teaching your child to read or learn other skills that's your choice, but don't refuse to try because you don't think they can do it.  What have you got to lose if it doesn't work?  Exposure to new vocabulary? Speech practice? Time spent with your child?  If that is the worst of what happens & your child never learns to read, or doesnt learn those skills, it doesn't seem like a terrible waste of time to me. High expectation are the best gift you can give your child.

How it all started..........

The morning my daughter was born, I held her in my arms & looked deeply into her trusting & inquisitive, almond shaped eyes. I held her with the strenth, yet gentleness that other  mama bears will recognize in themselves occasionally -  a bit of the mama bear fierceness that I don't often need to feel.  I made my first promise to my newborn daughter that night.  I told her that one day she would amaze everybody.  I believed it with all my heart, yet I never imagined that  a short 3 years later I would be writing this post. I never doubted that she would show the world what an incredible person she would be.....but  I had no idea that I would be the one who is the most amazed.  I am in awe of my little girl.

K was diagnosed with trisomy 21, commonly known as Down syndrome, shortly after she was born.  I knew very little about Down syndrome (DS) at the time & spent hours researching treatments, & therapies. Some were mainstream - many were not. 

Our journey with our daughter is different than that of many parents of a child with Down syndrome.  At first I didn't share a lot about what we were doing, mainly because I was so unsure that some of the ideas would work. I have also found it difficult to finally start this blog & perhaps interupt our private lives.  Even though I have been on different forums and Down syndrome boards for over 3 years, & posted often, I have rarely shared pics online.  I think we have walked a bit different path though - & I feel it is time I started to share some of what we have done.