For Teacher Appreciation Week

When you are the parent of a special needs child you quickly learn that although you may not feel qualified, people come to you with questions and you have a duty to educate the world around you about your child and those like her. Not everyone is interested because maybe they feel it doesn’t affect them, but in a world where, according to the CDC, 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder, we have to assume anyone could be affected.

I recently spoke to a mom who had some concerns about her child. Why does she seem different from my other kids? What do you think is going on with her? Who do I talk to? My answer comes from the experiences my family has had, so I encouraged her to share her concerns with her daughter’s pediatrician, as well as her preschool teachers and daycare providers. The familiarity teachers and care providers have with our children is second only to our own. I also told her to be persistent - if you run into someone who doesn’t take your concerns seriously, speak to someone else. Our kids rely on us to make good choices for their futures and we are their best advocates. As parents, sometimes we want so much for something not to be true that we are willing to overlook nontypical behavior. Yes, all kids are different and everyone has their quirks, but you have to trust your gut. If something seems off, it probably is. Differences can create tremendous fear in the beginning, driving loving parents to want to hide or justify those differences. But slowly, the differences become simple facts and you learn that’s just the way it is. You learn to accept the differences and even celebrate their uniqueness. I blamed myself for a long time because I was a stay-at-home mom and my kids didn’t get the same amount of social interaction that kids who went to daycare would get. But the reality is, “Gertrude” was there the whole time just waiting for the right moment to make herself known.

I can tell you from experience that early intervention is key in helping children with autism or other developmental delays. In our case, we were put in contact with Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists through ESU10 who began working with our child before she was a year old - all free of charge. As she got older, she received visits from an early childhood specialist and at 3, began preschool. Ravenna is so fortunate to have a preschool within the elementary school. I cannot stress enough how helpful that was for my girls. As vital as doctors are, I would not hesitate to say that the help and support given by the educators and therapists in a child’s life are even more important. They impact the day-to-day lives of our kids and help them make progress beyond occasional check-ups and appointments.

For my family, in our daily struggles with Gertie, our relationship with the school staff is crucial. This week, May 7-11, is Teacher Appreciation Week, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers, paraeducators, therapists, administrators and support staff that impact my daughters’ lives every day. Sonya, Abby, Glenda, Korina, Renata, Cindy, Judi, Terry, Lindsey, Teresa, Liz, Haley, Sue, Paul and everyone else who makes my girls’ days a little brighter just by interacting with them - you mean so much to the Nye family and we appreciate you! And a special thank you to our leader Jamie... you have been like a member of our family and we will miss you more than we can say.