Proud and relieved grandmom
06-01-2011, 10:16 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Maryland
Posts: 264
It's all over but the walk across the stage. My one and only granddaughter is graduateting high school on time. It's more than I hoped for when in pre-k she was diagnosed with autisim or ADHD. They could figure out which. She didn't learn to read until the 3rd grade when a reading teacher caught on that she memorized what on the page of the books and could recited them back word for word, but could not read the words in an unread book or work sheet. The city assigned in home after school tutoring and when she graduated the fifth grade she was reading and cmprehending on a sixth grade level.
In middle school, I said all I wanted was for her to be to be able count her change from a purchase, and know when there is a twenty percent off sale how much that really was.
High school worried me even more I had problems with second level algebra. Her grades sucked, she just passed most of her classes.
This year it was like the rest of her life, late to understand, but once she got it she knew it forever. Determined to graduate she kept an eye on her grades on the school internet, made up work, and most of all kept work, so when a teacher claimed she did not do something she had the graded paper as her voice. Between Saturday school and regular, she carried and passed tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade english.
With everything else behind her, some woman in the office told her she could not graduate until she met her finicial obligations, which acumalated from having to get a temporary ID to swipe into everyplace at the school, for the four years it came to ten dollars. She paid that off. Yesterday her mother was told she still owed for a unreturned book. At the beginning of the year the book had been returned, and records were checked, and it was in the 'tumbs' where the clerical help was disinclined to search. A threat to go over their heads to the principal lead to the search, book found, and reciept of book slip signed and given. My daughter returned to the school today with the slip that had the same woman's signature on it, and the deficit file was no longer in the system.
I am thrilled to be going Saturday to watch her end one chapter in her life and begin a second. This fall she's boosting her grades in a community college. Although she has two quilts, she is looking forward to the special memory quilt I am going to make for her. A photographic history from very young to end with a picture of her diploma. Like always she's in line as the third quilt I have to make, but she is willing to wait.
God Bless America!
In middle school, I said all I wanted was for her to be to be able count her change from a purchase, and know when there is a twenty percent off sale how much that really was.
High school worried me even more I had problems with second level algebra. Her grades sucked, she just passed most of her classes.
This year it was like the rest of her life, late to understand, but once she got it she knew it forever. Determined to graduate she kept an eye on her grades on the school internet, made up work, and most of all kept work, so when a teacher claimed she did not do something she had the graded paper as her voice. Between Saturday school and regular, she carried and passed tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade english.
With everything else behind her, some woman in the office told her she could not graduate until she met her finicial obligations, which acumalated from having to get a temporary ID to swipe into everyplace at the school, for the four years it came to ten dollars. She paid that off. Yesterday her mother was told she still owed for a unreturned book. At the beginning of the year the book had been returned, and records were checked, and it was in the 'tumbs' where the clerical help was disinclined to search. A threat to go over their heads to the principal lead to the search, book found, and reciept of book slip signed and given. My daughter returned to the school today with the slip that had the same woman's signature on it, and the deficit file was no longer in the system.
I am thrilled to be going Saturday to watch her end one chapter in her life and begin a second. This fall she's boosting her grades in a community college. Although she has two quilts, she is looking forward to the special memory quilt I am going to make for her. A photographic history from very young to end with a picture of her diploma. Like always she's in line as the third quilt I have to make, but she is willing to wait.
God Bless America!
06-01-2011, 10:20 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: California
Posts: 883
Congratulations -- you are one supportive Gma. we too have a special needs boy in our family and it takes all of us to help; we all have something to add to their life. Take some tissues and I'll keep you in my prayers !
06-01-2011, 10:29 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Sunny Southern California, actually Riverside
Posts: 414
What a story and I know and understand the truth and the struggle involved. She is so fortunate to have you to encourage, support and help her fight her way through a system that is supposed to be set up for her benefit. I have worked with individuals with disabilities in several different roles since I finished high school almost 40 years ago. This is a HUGE accomplishment for anyone with a dx of Autism. You let her know how proud you are of her and your daughter as well. Your daughter has traveled down one of the most difficult roads a parent can travel down. God bless.
06-01-2011, 11:41 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 804
My DGD is in the third grade and recently received extensive testing and found to have ADHD which was evaluated as being "off the charts". I tried to tutor her last summer during her vacation. She would do really good one day and then when she came back it would be very difficult for her to repeat what she accomplished two days prior. I really wondered if this was just her way of not wanting to spend time doing math and reading but soon decided otherwise. Here was a child that knew evey dinosaur's group name and could pronounce their names along with what food category each fell into since she was three. She is now receiving after school tutoring two or three nights a week. Today's children have so many more obstacles to deal with so early in their lives than we had growing up. I am so happy to have read your article about your DGD as it gives me hope that mine too will be able to successfully overcome each challenge life has to give her. Prayers for these children that they will persevere and become much stronger individuals in their adult lives.
06-02-2011, 01:58 AM
#8
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Somewhere in Time
Posts: 263
WOWOWOW what a wonderful post! I am so very happy for you and your GradGrand.
This does point out NO ONE should be undervalued, underestimated and left out of life. Pray and work, combined with deep abiding love, truly can conquer all.
Thank you so much for your post.
Julie
This does point out NO ONE should be undervalued, underestimated and left out of life. Pray and work, combined with deep abiding love, truly can conquer all.
Thank you so much for your post.
Julie
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Mousie
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
89
06-12-2017 12:40 PM
