Robby is now 10 and the transformation that has taken place over the last couple years has been amazing. I am in constant awe at his loving, nurturing ability, especially with his sister. He has the ability to get her to do things when mom and dad fail! He is definitely her favorite. He has discovered a passion for WebKins, an addiction fueled by his Aunt Jennifer. If allowed, he would spend the whole day caring for his virtual dog "Rono." When not with his virtual dog, he can be found with his real life Shi-Tzu puppy named "Pal" who seems to understand that Robby is his owner. The puppy has been great and getting Robby to relax when life becomes overwhelming.
We just finished our second year with Connections Academy, a virtual school. It's overwhelming to see how much he has accomplished in two years, and the future looks bright and exciting. With a virtual school, the kids are still in public school with teachers, but they are schooled at home. The curriculm is set, the teachers grade the work and the students even get on the computer and can talk and listen to the teachers weekly through virtual classrooms.
The decision to pull Robby in 3rd grade from a traditional school wasn't difficult. He was unable to get his work done and no matter how hard he tried, seemed unorganized and always "out of the loop" on what was happening. He was the child that couldn't find his work, had the wrong spelling list, or forgot the book he needed for homework. He was constantly being punished and had quickly become depressed about school. I hated seeing my child come out of school in tears. Despite the teachers insistance that Robby just didn't have his priorities straight, I couldn't believe that my child didn't care. He hated to read, he was failing math, he couldn't write. The thought of writing a simple paragraph would cause an emotional tantrum that would last a day.
After being home, we discovered Robby had problems with his eyes. He didn't even make the charts on eye tests. He was put in Vision Therapy and within 6 months he was reading with ease. The child who wouldn't read was reading for 5 hours a day. The flexibility allowed in school, along with V.T., allowed him to discover the magical world of books. Once there, he was hooked. We had his hearing tested and although the tests proved normal, the Dr. recognized that Robby had a difficut time sorting through sounds. This lead us to more testing and a year later, a diagnosis of ADD. It was the most wonderful day, to know that your child isn't being bad, but that his brain is just different than most. I'll never forget when Robby was reading through the list of "ADD symptoms" and exclaimed proudly "that's me mom!" It was though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
So where has this taken us? Robby is getting ready to enter 5th grade and is a writer. He has begun writing a series about a school hampster that escapes and has all these adventures. His aunt illustrates them. He loves school. He reads 5 hours a day, easily. His teachers have inspired him. He realizes that there is more than one way to accomplish a task. He is experiencing rather than discussing. He left 4th grade with 9 A's and 1 B and a 94% overall. He still faces challenges every day, but he has been able to manage himself without medicine. Amazing.
We just finished our second year with Connections Academy, a virtual school. It's overwhelming to see how much he has accomplished in two years, and the future looks bright and exciting. With a virtual school, the kids are still in public school with teachers, but they are schooled at home. The curriculm is set, the teachers grade the work and the students even get on the computer and can talk and listen to the teachers weekly through virtual classrooms.
The decision to pull Robby in 3rd grade from a traditional school wasn't difficult. He was unable to get his work done and no matter how hard he tried, seemed unorganized and always "out of the loop" on what was happening. He was the child that couldn't find his work, had the wrong spelling list, or forgot the book he needed for homework. He was constantly being punished and had quickly become depressed about school. I hated seeing my child come out of school in tears. Despite the teachers insistance that Robby just didn't have his priorities straight, I couldn't believe that my child didn't care. He hated to read, he was failing math, he couldn't write. The thought of writing a simple paragraph would cause an emotional tantrum that would last a day.
After being home, we discovered Robby had problems with his eyes. He didn't even make the charts on eye tests. He was put in Vision Therapy and within 6 months he was reading with ease. The child who wouldn't read was reading for 5 hours a day. The flexibility allowed in school, along with V.T., allowed him to discover the magical world of books. Once there, he was hooked. We had his hearing tested and although the tests proved normal, the Dr. recognized that Robby had a difficut time sorting through sounds. This lead us to more testing and a year later, a diagnosis of ADD. It was the most wonderful day, to know that your child isn't being bad, but that his brain is just different than most. I'll never forget when Robby was reading through the list of "ADD symptoms" and exclaimed proudly "that's me mom!" It was though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
So where has this taken us? Robby is getting ready to enter 5th grade and is a writer. He has begun writing a series about a school hampster that escapes and has all these adventures. His aunt illustrates them. He loves school. He reads 5 hours a day, easily. His teachers have inspired him. He realizes that there is more than one way to accomplish a task. He is experiencing rather than discussing. He left 4th grade with 9 A's and 1 B and a 94% overall. He still faces challenges every day, but he has been able to manage himself without medicine. Amazing.
That's not to say we don't have days where I wish I had a magic pill. Today is one of them. But good days outnumber bad. We have learned the value of routine. He stays busy with sports, friends and boy scouts. He is always anxious to try new things. Karate will be his next great adventure. This could be bad. What have I agreed to?
No comments:
Post a Comment