When Ashlynn was three, I enrolled her in gymnastics. I knew it was going to be awesome. She was so cute in her little pink leotard and ponytail. I can still remember how much fun she had. I can also remember being heartbroken and sitting there hurting. The favorite activity was a long, large trampoline. The kids would all wait their turn and then happily jump forward down it with
If you’ve ever watched your baby fail to meet the simplest of milestones.. If you’ve sat in meetings and offices and were told things like 1% percentile If you’ve felt a pain you can’t describe that is only eased by hope.. You know why regression hurts so much. If you’ve ever driven your child back and forth to countless therapies.. If you’ve ever felt a mix of pride, happiness, grief
I never knew before I had a child with an IEP (individualized education plan), how awful these meetings can be for parents.
There’s this saying if you want to know how to treat a child with a disability or special needs, watch their sibling. Today after school I chatted with a mom who has a child with Down Syndrome in third grade. We’ll call him M. Ashlynn my daughter is in the integrated learning center program with him though she is in 4th grade, but they frequently see each other in the
I thought about how swings go up and down and up and down and how Ashlynn smiles and giggles through it all. I thought about how swings are a lot like life in that way.
There was a time I prayed for Ashlynn to tell me she loved me. Having apraxia and a language disorder made that tough. Even when she could repeat “I love you” when given a model, that didn’t mean she could volitionally pull it out and say it spontaneously. That took more years and work in therapy.