
Last week, I talked about how excited we are to begin homeschooling Ashley again. We are still excited, and Ashley had a particularly awesome day today. Our church's special needs program bought the one piece of equipment she was really missing from her public school classroom; and it was in her church classroom when we arrived. She was so happy, and even verbally said "Look at this!" It was a great day for us even though she did not want to work. I also briefly discussed how frustrated we are with the public school system, which indeed we are. But through all the terrible experiences we have had through the school we also have met some amazing people. I think often times those amazing people and experiences get lost in the shuffle. As parents we get caught up in what has gone wrong, and lose sight of what went right. Now I have no intention of putting Ashley back in public school, but I want to give some amazing people credit and tell the good side.
When Ashley was three years old we decided the best course of action was for her to go to school full days, five days a week. As a stay at home mom, that was one of the hardest things I have ever done - letting go of my three year old. Although I knew it was in her best interest. We were blessed with an amazing teacher who was with Ashley almost every moment that we weren't. That teacher was gracious enough to work closely with me. Together, we created a wonderful program for Ashley. She was loving, yet firm; and always knew when Ashley needed to be held (she was just a baby still) and when she needed to be pushed. She stayed with Ashley, to some extent, for two years. We will always be grateful for the time Ashley had with her. She made a difficult experience into a blessing.
For the last four years Ashley has had the most AMAZING adapted P.E. teacher ever. Seriously, I would put this teacher up against any teacher I have ever met. She is in a position where she could have taken the easy route, and just given these severe kids a little exercise, and nobody would have questioned it. But instead she chooses to teach these kids so many things. Ashley can do push ups, sit ups, roller skate, bowling, square dance, and she is currently teaching her to ride a bike and working on basketball skills with her. And best of all she has taught Ashley, along with the entire special needs group how to swim. The things these can do in the pool is spectacular! They dive off a diving board, dive for rings, play ball, and tread water for seven minutes or more. This teacher has accomplished more than most people would have dared to try. And in the process she has probably saved many lives. And what does she do in her spare time? She volunteers to coach special olympics. She has been doing this for many years and it is obvious she loves these kids and her job. She has set a standard I'm not sure any teacher can surpass. She works our kids hard, and we love her for it.
The next two "teachers" on my list aren't technically teachers, but they have had such a positive impact on our lives, and have taught Ashley. The first one was a behavioral specialist who worked as a paraeducator with Ashley when she was in fourth grade, and then continued to work with her at varying times until we pulled her out of school. He walked into our lives the summer before fourth grade, when all the certified teachers were not sure what to do with Ashley. He was able to work with Ashley, and help with many behaviors we were dealing with during that time. I'm not sure what would have happened if he hadn't arrived. My husband calls him the "autism whisperer" because it never ceases to amaze us what Ashley will do for him. His patience is endless. He has always been willing to advocate for Ashley and our son. He is one of the few people who really sees Ashley through the autism. To this day, she is always excited to see him. And last, but certainly not least, on our favorites list is a woman who was Ashley's paraeducator for fifth grade, and some of sixth grade. Although she was only supposed to be a para, she stepped up and did so much more for Ashley than she was hired to do. She gave Ashley consistency and structure when nobody else was around to do it. When Ashley was left without a teacher, she took on that role. She did not worry about her job description, but did what was right for Ashley. She went above and beyond the call of duty, and taught Ashley so much more than we could have ever asked. She had many days when it was just Ashley and her in a classroom, and I always knew she was working hard to make sure Ashley's needs were met. When they replaced her, it took two people to do the job she was doing alone. It is obvious that she loves Ashley, and Ashley loves her.
All of these people are obviously passionate about their job and put the needs of the children first. These people have impacted our lives so much. We trust and respect them. If everybody working within the field of special education were as gifted, I cannot even imagine how far our kids would soar. The sad thing is I'm not sure the school even sees what tremendous assets these teachers are, but we parents certainly do and appreciate them beyond what words can express.
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originally posted May 2013
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