My daughter, Lovely Little Girl, finishes Kindergarten this week. At her mainstream school. And they are promoting her to first grade, not because they're nice, but because she earned it.
It's everything her mother and I wanted for her. She's reading, thinking for herself, problem solving, and even learning to self-regulate. We knew she'd be good once she started school, and this proves we were right. It makes me want to go visit her first pre-school teacher who told us to lower our expectations and show her what she almost screwed up. What if we'd been the type of parent who believed her? Where would that put LLG now? Certainly not reading, or even learning social skills to try and fit in with her friends.
While we deserve some credit for persevering (not perseverating, which is a different thing I've learned), a lot of the credit goes to Ms. G, her team at school, and her therapists.
Ms. G has been a god-send. When we met her last year prior to LLG attending her class, we were scared and a little worried. She'd never really taught someone like LLG (and let's be honest: there aren't many like LLG) and we didn't know how it would work. The first thing she asked is if we had any books she could read on teaching children on the spectrum. Boy do we! She read all of them. She even suggested LLG come to visit her prior to the school year opening so she could get used to her and the school. She made LLG feel comfortable, and LLG started to blossom right there. She took to Ms. G, and even stated she wanted to be a teacher when she got older. (Not Hello Kitty, which is a miracle.) When LLG returned from our month long vacation in September, Ms G even dressed up with Hello Kitty to make my little girl feel special. It was awesome. When some of the teachers in Grade 1 stated they weren't sure they wanted her in their class, she volunteered to move up with her. In the end that didn't happen, because as LLG became known around school, the teachers realized she was something special. Ms. G focused on her strengths, building up LLG's confidence and making her more a part of the class. I wish every child on the spectrum had someone like Ms. G.
The teaching assistant, Ms. Suz, and the learning assistant, Ms. Beff, are also to be commended. They help my little girl a lot, and without them she might not have made it. Ms. Suz is moving up with LLG next year (after fighting with the other teaching assistants to do so) and Ms. Beff will be there as well. Ms. Beff even set up a sensory room for LLG (which she calls her "Office") for when life is a little overwhelming. LLG learned to ask to go there when it's too much. I know Ms. Beff and Ms. Suz love my daughter, and want the best for her as well. They are a part of our team too, and I also wish each child had people watching over them like my daughter does.
I'd be remiss not to mention her therapists here as well. They are where LLG gets her therapies from in Johannesburg. They have been fantastic to deal with, and have worked hand in hand with Ms. G to ensure they are reinforcing the same things so they aren't working against each other. Most of our meetings with them now talk about how great she is doing, the small issues she has, and what we can do to move her forward. It's refreshing, after dealing with some of the therapists in the states, to find a group so dedicated to helping our little girl. Yes we're paying them, but you'd be surprised what we got from some of the therapists whom we paid previously. Not good, let me tell you.
What I want to say is that my little girl will be starting 1st grade in August, and she, and we, couldn't have done it without help from all of these people. This became a team working together for the best of my daughter. She loves Ms. G, Ms. Beff and Ms. Suz, and the work that her therapists give her is very important to her development. I'm much more optimistic about the future than I was a year ago, and it's thanks to these lovely people. We'll miss Ms. G, but I know she'll keep track of my little girl. LLG makes you do that once you've under her spell.
No comments:
Post a Comment