As I have previously posted, ARD meetings are not something Tina and I enjoy. However, the one we participated in Wednesday may change our mind on the subject.
We met with most of Amanda's education team. Some of the these therapists have been working with her for more than five years. Now while we have had road blocks in the past from the diagnostician, this time there was overwhelming support for Amanda on all fronts. More importantly, everyone was saying the same thing and reinforcing the consensus of Amanda's needs as well as achievements.
But the highlight of the ARD was when the dance instructor, who has never participated in our ARD before, told us the following. "I know you have heard this before but you have never heard it from me, I love Amanda. The kids in my class love Amanda. She tries very hard and all the students look out for her." My heart went to about 200 beats a minute and I came as close to crying in a room full of women as I ever have before. It just made me feel so warm inside.
Amanda will be moved to a less academically challenging class in the fall. It will have more of an emphasis on life skills, which is an area she can actually improve in and contribute to society as a whole. Not every child is destined for greatness, but that doesn't mean they can't be amazing in their own right. I'm proud of my girl.
2 comments:
I'm wiping tears away from my eyes now at the dance instructor's comment. :-)
You didn't ask, I know, yet your entry has made me feel richer for having read it, and I feel compelled to share.
I've come to believe in my later years that greatness (and heroics) are relative to the individual doing great (or heroic) things, and that humanity is no less richer for the triumphs of every soul.
In other words, it seems to be the difficulty overcome, not the nature of the contribution, that makes one great and benefits our species. Things that someone finds easy to do aren't remarkable, but things that are difficult to achieve are the works of remarkable people.
Sorry, I've rambled. Thank you for your post.
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