It is amazing to me when God blesses us with a moment in time that seems like a coincidence or chance encounter. It's not chance at all... God is working around us at all times, and when we choose to look for chances to reach out and interact with other people, we are blessed with an experience that only God can give us.
Take this example...
Last April we took Maggie to Disneyland for her 5th birthday.
We decided to wait in line to see the Princesses... a 2 hour wait!
Who does that?
Well, parents of children who love Princesses, that's who!
Anyway, while waiting in line we started a conversation with the lady in front of us. It was a very long conversation- almost 2 hours, actually. The long story short is that she was a mother of 2 adopted children. Both of her adopted children had special needs and so she was well-versed in the life of Special Education in public schools.
She had since become a Parent Advocate to help families navigate the Special Ed journey through school. She had one major piece of advice for us, since we had shared that Maggie would soon be in a typical Kindergarten. She said that teachers are busy- this we knew! She said that sometimes the teachers are not given, or haven't had the time to read, the IEP's for their students who are identified- this we also knew! But what we didn't know, is that it would be a good idea to make a little "cheat sheet" for our Maggie... nothing too over-the-top... just a little information that might be important for the teacher to know ASAP. Her child, for instance, did not look people in the eyes, or respond verbally very well. So, she always let the teacher know that her son was not being rude, but that one of his special needs was that he had a hard time making eye contact and responding appropriately. Letting the teacher know this information on Day 1 saved everyone a lot of headaches and extra meetings to discuss certain behaviors.
What great advice!
Last April we took Maggie to Disneyland for her 5th birthday.
We decided to wait in line to see the Princesses... a 2 hour wait!
Who does that?
Well, parents of children who love Princesses, that's who!
Anyway, while waiting in line we started a conversation with the lady in front of us. It was a very long conversation- almost 2 hours, actually. The long story short is that she was a mother of 2 adopted children. Both of her adopted children had special needs and so she was well-versed in the life of Special Education in public schools.
She had since become a Parent Advocate to help families navigate the Special Ed journey through school. She had one major piece of advice for us, since we had shared that Maggie would soon be in a typical Kindergarten. She said that teachers are busy- this we knew! She said that sometimes the teachers are not given, or haven't had the time to read, the IEP's for their students who are identified- this we also knew! But what we didn't know, is that it would be a good idea to make a little "cheat sheet" for our Maggie... nothing too over-the-top... just a little information that might be important for the teacher to know ASAP. Her child, for instance, did not look people in the eyes, or respond verbally very well. So, she always let the teacher know that her son was not being rude, but that one of his special needs was that he had a hard time making eye contact and responding appropriately. Letting the teacher know this information on Day 1 saved everyone a lot of headaches and extra meetings to discuss certain behaviors.
What great advice!
I took the advice and am so glad I did!
Here it is... with some information deleted for privacy sake...
Here it is... with some information deleted for privacy sake...
Maggie's teacher thanked me today for the information I gave her,
as she has not been given Maggie's IEP yet.
She said that it was such a good idea!
I thanked God because He reminded me, AGAIN,
that He is always in control, and even when I can't physically be taking care of Maggie, He is!
11 comments:
heidi, what a wonderful idea!! love love love it!
That is fantastic. It would be so helpful to me to have this quick run-down. What a great blessing that 2 hour wait ended up being!
Very sweet, and a great idea! Thank-you for all the great things you share with us!
~Ann♥
I love your "Moment in Time" BLog. That is how I feel about reading Maggie's Blog. It's like God took the opportunity to speak to me through your story. Thank you!
It is so amazing that this two hour conversation with a stranger turned out to be such a great tool, that's how God works! What a wonderful Mommy you are that you followed through..
I am so proud of Maggie and I know she will have such a rewarding year this year.
All My LOVE, Grandma
The next time you go to Disney, you can go to guest services and ask for a mobility pass to bypass the lines.
Thanks for sharing your story!
Donna
Thanks for sharing this. What a great idea. I wrote up a long introduction to my son for his new preschool teachers, but this highlight list with pictures is a better idea.
What a wonderful idea. Our daughter starts kindergarten next year and we will definitely use this. Thanks for sharing your story, it is very inspiring!
I love your cheat sheet for Maggie. It's so clear and I can imagine as her teacher how helpful it must be.
I think that is an amazing idea! I wish every parent did this and now I want to for Christopher. What a beautiful way to introduce your child to anyone, especially their teacher.
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