This is a great day! Last night was Report Card Night at our son’s high school and we had the opportunity to speak briefly with all his teachers about his progress thus far. With most of his freshman year under his belt, the message from all his teachers had a similar chorus that was pure music to our ears: growth and improvement from the beginning of the year. Hallellujah! Look ma, no hands!>
Fortunately, academics aren’t his struggle. [Well, for the most part; I’d love to see better grades in Algebra, but I’d also love to have zero percent body fat. I don’t. So we’ll deal with it.] But interpersonal communications is an area that he struggles with. While he rarely communicated his needs/questions to teachers in the first half of the year, now he regularly checks in and lets them know his plans. His foreign language teacher sang his praises for being a student who can focus and complete his work when asked. In another class he would have more run-ins with other students. Now their behaviors don’t seem to bother him as much; he’s better able to roll with the punches. And in an online course that he struggled with because of its lack of structure—structure that he needs—we worked to build a structure for him. Once in place, his F soared to a B. And his English teacher appreciates the strides he has made in being able to plan out his projects and manage his time.
These are huge issues. For any student. But they take on a new level of significance when the student has ASDs. So that’s why today is such a great day. My kid is learning how to survive—no, thrive—in high school. And there is a host of teachers who’ve attested to his growth. Rock on!
This sets the stage for a pretty positive triennial IEP this afternoon…
