Salute to the Salutatorian

This is old news. Almost a month old to be precise. In this day and age I suppose that is almost obsolete, except...I don't think this story will ever grow old. It is the story of triumph, determination, and encouragement for others to do the same. I didn't really connect with it until I read this Examiner blog. Then I hopped over to the written news story and watched the embedded video. By the time I reached the last step I knew I had to post it again. It's probably been making the rounds of blogs, twitter, facebook, etc. but if even just one more person sees this and gains the courage to carry on it will be worth the several who read and say, "Oh yeah, I heard about this already." Even if you did hear about it already...do try to read with fresh eyes and listen with fresh ears. It might hit you in a different way. Timeless tales have a way of doing that.

Eric Duquette lives in Rhode Island. He was non-verbal at age 5 as he entered Kindergarten, newly diagnosed with autism. The news is that he just graduated from High School as the Salutatorian of his class. His GPA ranked second among his 200 classmates. The advocacy includes:

• his parents, who worked with speech professionals and on their own to help him gain vocabulary and make progress learning emotions, etc 
• his classmates - it is obvious they are thrilled with his achievements
• his teachers - from Kindergarten through High School I'm sure they went above and beyond to bring out the potential in this young man
• and himself - the humor and even wisdom Eric expresses in his speech is heart-warming to say the least.

If you watch the video you will see that he looks mostly at the podium (except for one shimmering smile, greeted by applause and cheers!) and the prosody of his speech is stilted. However, this young man, who according to some professionals would end up in an institution, is bound for college and hopes to become a pharmacist. He encourages his classmates to, "not allow yourself or others to be defined by your limitations but rather abilities." I hope he will continue to find the support and resources he needs to live out that motto. He has a good start.

Meanwhile, I am encouraged as I consider the long road in front of our family. Our daughter will begin 1st grade this year. She has already made so much progress that I am often amazed. It has not been easy, nor do I expect it to be easy in the future, but I will hold on to the hope held out in the example of Eric. I hope others will also be encouraged to overcome their own limitations and maximize their abilities; and to advocate, support and encourage others so that they can do the same.

Never underestimate...

Commencement at P.S. 176X

We are just beginning our daughter's school journey. She will enter Kindergarten this fall, and thankfully since she has been in an early intervention program we already know a lot about how the school system works. When I found this story it was so encouraging to see a public school so fully devoted to serving students with special needs. These students have accomplished so much, and their families should be so proud. While celebrating their achievement, they are also facing a great unknown. Some of them will enter the working world and face a whole new set of challenges. I hope you will also be encouraged and inspired by this story, and that you will join me in praying for these students as they embark on a new stage of their journey. May God guide their steps. Be sure to check out the video.

Sunday Digest 2

Here is your second installment of links that I've come across that seem important to the task of parenting special needs children. Without further ado, here are five cool links you might want to check out.
(disclaimer: not extensively vetted - as with anything you find on the internet read and enfold into your world view with caution!)

Special Needs Adoption – Meet the Cancilla Family who adopted their son Harrison who has Down Syndrome. They set out on their adoption journey with that goal in mind. With some help from The Orphan Foundation they were able to make their dream come true. Big hearts I must say.

Graduation is a grand moment that many parents are celebrating this time of year, but none more than this Father. This is dedicated to all special needs young adults who are reaching this big milestone this Spring, and for the parents who helped them get there.

This website looks like a great resource for parents and teachers of ASD children. They have some free web-based training under their "parent" tab that I hope to check out. This may also be a great resource for explaining ASD to family and friends.

This place looks beautiful in every sense of the word. I wish we lived closer to West Virginia.

And, should the unthinkable happen, FEMA has some suggestions for how to prepare for disaster when you care for someone with special needs.


Also, please note that I've added two premanent links on the sidebar. One is for an on-line magazine that seems to have tons of useful information (I particularly liked the article on traveling with a special needs child since family vacation is looming) and Insight for Living's ministry was pointed out to me by my friend (and reader) Cindy.


You can see a list of Sunday Digests (and other posts) here.