"It is ok if he writes like that. He has Asthma, he was born like that." ~McKenna

Students often call the impairments by the wrong name as they are learning, but understand that no matter what it is called, it is still ok to play and talk with their new friend who happens to have ASD.

"I told my friends that if they wanted to sit by me, then they had to sit by Lindsay, too" ~Taylor

Taylor was a mentor for Lindsay and sat by her each day at lunch. Shortly after, Lindsay had a whole table of general education peers eating lunch with her because of Taylor's dedication.

Tulips in Holland by Monet

Welcome To Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland." " Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."  But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.  So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.  It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy.

But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.  But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."  And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. 

B ut... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

A Teacher's Reply

by Amy Idzior

I was part of the group that took your dream away.

I was part of the team that confirmed something was wrong and gave it a label.

I watched as the numbness fell over you and the words bounced off your mind but pierced your heart.

Now I am given the job of repairing the damage that was done to your soul.

Now begins the task of helping your child reach the ultimate potential.

Not the child you dreamed of as a teenager while you planned your life,

But the one you received while traveling this unexpected path.

I will give it my all because I was there when we took your hope and it is my job to replace it.

I will listen to you, I will comfort you, and I will talk with you.

We need to get to work, together, because there is so much to do.