The Importance of Maintenance

Today's gift is the importance of maintenance.

My daughter works so hard every day with everything she learns.  Whether it is learning something new in school, learning how to do something for herself like feeding herself with a fork or learning a new type of stretching at physical therapy she is always learning.  And with learning also comes maintenance...to help her maintain the skill.

During the summer and throughout the school year she is given "maintenance" work to go over in school and at home so she doesn't lose any of the skills she has worked so hard to gain.  At physical therapy they are always incorporating many different types of techniques...new and old...so she is always has familiar ones in case a "newer" technique doesn't go smoothly.  Sometimes when they try a new method of stretching she doesn't like it as she is unsure so they have to maintain the old ones to have a fall back, in order to get the stretch for the day.

Tonight at dinner she stated she wanted "more" after she was finished.  I had already given her a little extra to eat, but didn't want to give her a full second helping.  So I asked her if she wanted some fruit....and she said "ya".  So my middle daughter brought over some blueberries to the table.  After I gave her a couple to pick up and eat, I decided to turn this into a little "maintenance" session.

I placed a large blueberry in one hand and a small blueberry in the other hand.  I then asked her to point to the larger blueberry.  Bam!  Without hesitation, she not only pointed to it, but picked it up and ate it!  Then I switched the smaller blueberry to the other hand (without her looking) and picked up a larger blueberry and asked her the opposite question.  Bam!  Again...perfect answer followed by a blueberry in the mouth!

Next I decided to work on numbers as numbers and my daughter don't go well together...she is not a numbers girl....kinda like her mommy!!!  I placed three blueberries in one hand and one blueberry in the other and asked her to point to the hand with three blueberries in it.  WOW!  She was on fire tonight!  We kept doing this over and over again.   And she kept showing me that she knew her "stuff"!!!!

Something so easy...I know.  However, learning these skills was not easy for my daughter and I am so thrilled that she understands the concept of larger and smaller and more and less!!!!  I am beyond thrilled with her desire to learn and only want to help her maintain all her knowledge!

Here is a quote for today....

Let her sleep... for when she wakes, she will move mountains-Author Unknown


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365 Days Gift

Her Homework

Today's gift is her homework.

I am sure you read this post title and thought to yourself...the gift is homework!?!

Yes it is.  And the reason her homework is my gift is because I honestly never thought my daughter would have homework.

When she was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome we honestly saw the life we dreamed for her flash before our eyes...puff!  It.  was.  gone.

Then we learned about Rett Syndrome.  We learned about her.  And we learned how the two go hand and hand as Rett Syndrome affects every girl differently.

Once she started school started where they teach children through the ABA style of learning...we knew there was hope.  Shortly there after we realized there were other people who believed in our child too.  Today one of her first teachers is still by her side every day and believes in her more than anyone I know....sometimes more than me!

Because of her amazing (this word doesn't even do her justice!) teacher who not only encourages her but will also adapt anything to help her learn the same material as her peers....my daughter has homework!

Homework = Learning

Homework = Typical School Experience

Homework = Hope

Tonight as I helped my daughter with her homework I realized this was my gift today.  I was helping her study for her science test tomorrow.   I had a list of twenty questions to ask her.  TWENTY!  And she knew her material!!!   To say I am proud of her is an understatement!

Equally as exciting is the fact all THREE of my children are learning about some aspect of weather right now....my child in Pre-K, my second grader and my fourth grader...all with different levels of difficulty!

Once you find someone in the educational field who believes children with special needs can perform academically....all things change.  Hope is given back where it was once lost.  

My daughter will probably never learn like her peers do and her tests will be altered to meet her needs (the way the test is worded, the number of questions, etc).  But what will be the same is the material she is learning and the fact she is taking tests in which she has to study for...no slacking here!

So yes....homework is my gift today.  And I am forever grateful to my daughter's one true believer for making homework a reality in her life.

Here are some quotes for today....

Students will not simply pass through a course like water through a sieve, but instead leave their own imprint on the learning process- Bryn Holmes

Every child has....the right to be respected
....the right to dream
...the right to be loved and cared for
...gifts that should be recognized and valued
...the right to achieve their God given potential
...the need for unconditional love
-Author Unknown

There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can't.  What you've got to do is turn around and say "watch me"- Author Unknown