“Thank you” sounds so empty.
When I worked in Denver schools early on in my speech therapy career, I became numb to the phrase, “Thank you so much. Thank you for everything.” The parents were soooo grateful for my help, and I didn’t understand. It was my job.
“You don’t have to thank me,” I would reply. “Is there anything else I can do? Any other goals you would like to be written?”
The response was always the same. “No, no? Just thank you. Thank you so much.”
Early on in Ashlynn’s special education career, no one really seemed to know her. Every time I went to school for a meeting, I always saw more at home than what they would report at school. That is disheartening to be honest. I know I’m a professional in an educational world, but that doesn’t mean I’m an expert in education. I’m an expert in speech and language development. I wanted the “experts” in education to report on my child and I saw more at home than what they said they did at school.
I have spent soooo many posts waiting for a teacher who would believe in her. Waiting for “professionals” to see what I see. Today, before Christmas break, Ashlynn came home with this:
If you have followed me or my story, you know that Cody, Ashlynn’s dad, is a realist. He might tear up at her IEP meetings, but overall, he’s pretty practical about our situation. When I am distraught over test numbers and percentile ranks, he is the one to calmly remind me she always makes progress and never goes backward.
Please direct your attention the above picture. When I saw it, I had an internal cheer. Okay, this is it!! Finally! The money we are dumping into Kindergarten Enrichment, OT, and Speech is paying off!! Last year at this time she STILL couldn’t write her name after years of practice.
I looked over and saw Cody choked up. I paused and realized how huge this was. I’m always looking at the next goal I never celebrate these moments. I’m proud, I’m INCREDIBLY proud, and it hit me. Ashlynn came home with something I didn’t know she could do.
That has RARELY happened before, and it’s been happening more and more this year.
There was a time I was sad at the thought it took a team of people,
a TEAM of professionals
to help Ashlynn do things typical kids do so naturally. When we handed out the teacher Christmas gifts this year, I wanted to hug each person: the teacher, the SPED teacher, the para, the SLP, the OT, the PT, the psychologist, and THANK THEM. Thank them for helping my child. I remembered me a few years ago wondering why people were thanking me for doing my job…and that’s when it hit me.
I get it now.
Ashlynn’s TEAM this year is a dream team. Every…single….one……. believes in her.
This is Ashlynn’s first day of school pic. The adult in the front is her teachers aid, and the adult in the back is her school SLP. From day one they were there for her. For the record, they both consider this “just doing their job.” For me though, I knew she was taken care of from the start. Ronnie, her teachers assistant (T.A), has bought her a book for her birthday AND for Christmas; and if you don’t know what T.A.’s make, let me put it bluntly and tell you they make shit.
When I have told Ronnie thank you for buying Ashlynn these gifts, she only smiles as though she had no other choice and says “Of course!! It was her BIRTHDAY!!”
It is incredibly humbling to know her salary, and know that she STILL felt like she owed my child a present. I wish I could buy her the world. I feel helpless to prove to her how much that means to me.
Which brings me to my next picture. Ashlynn’s SPED teacher is one of the best. I really don’t even know where to start. Teaching is her calling. Her compassion, passion, and drive is so infectious, it spills into her children, her biological children that is. This is a picture of her youngest daughter “teaching” Ashlynn during a tornado drill. Her daughter wants to be a teacher, and judging from her current skills, is well on her way! Colleen has high expectations. Can I just cry right now?? Ms. Colleen has HIGH expectations from my daughter.
I can’t tell you how many times I have told various teachers and therapists that Ashynn is capable. She will rise to the occasion. I also remember the countless “you poor thing” pity stares as though I were in denial. That never deterred me from saying it though.
True to form, I wrote a note at the beginning of the year to Colleen in Ashlynn’s back and forth book and I said, “Ashlynn will rise to the occasion.”
Now that Ashlynn has Colleen, she is proving it.
This next picture is Ashlynn at the Walk for Apraxia of Speech. The other girl in the picture is the daughter of Ashlynn’s school OT. I’m a writer, and I can’t even….I can’t even….express the words to describe what this meant. Why on Earth the school OT took time our of her weekend to bring her children to Ashlynn’s walk is beyond me. I have no other choice but to feel blessed and humbled. Even better is what these women are teaching their daughters.
This last picture is Ashlynn’s Kindergarten teacher. I’m so blessed to be in a district who values inclusion. This is Ashlynn’s general education Kindergarten teacher. Ashlynn is in a very restrictive special education program, and sometimes kids in this program don’t feel as part of their general education peers as they should. Ms. McDermott, her general education teacher, values and treasures Ashlynn as part of her class. She tracks Ashlynn’s progress and knows her skills just as well as Ashlynn’s SPED teacher. In addition, she strives to ensure the children LOVE school. She is a gem and in short, teaching is her calling too.
Though the words sound so empty, they are filled with deep emotion. “Thank you.” I’ll never take it for granted again.
