About JulieJordanScott
Member Since:
August 27, 2008
Last Signed In:
January 1, 1970
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Previous Posts
Speaking, Simply
I sat in the Jacuzzi at the hotel with Samuel and another little boy of about the same age. I always find it fascinating how children of similar ages find each other. This little boy must have been so excited to find a playmate that wasn’t his older sister.
As frequently happens, Samuel's deficits don’t show up right away. He can pass for “almost normal” until his language weaknesses appear.
I asked the other little boy where he lives. He told me. “Is that in Orange County?” I asked him.
“No,” he said, “It is a small town near San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo County.” He went on with further explanation as we conversed more deeply. Sam sat happily listening, not participating.
“You are seven?” I asked the other little boy again.
“Uhmmm Hmmmm.” He reiterated.
“So is Samuel,” I said, since Samuel didn’t feel compelled to chime in at all. I sat back in the Jacuzzi, saddened in my realization that I oftentimes deny. I would rather think Samuel is doing just fine in his language skills and most of the time, he is – as long as I don’t compare him to children without language challenges.
He has improved markedly over the past year, but is still delayed by a lot.
Yesterday I asked Samuel if he has started seeing the Speech and Language specialist at his school. “No,” he said, “But remember Miss (Surname of the Language Specialist who assessed him)?”
“Yes,” I said. “But has anyone else seen you about language?”
“No!” he exclaimed, his anger increasing because I obviously wasn’t understanding him.
I understood him, but in a recent meeting concerning his education, his language therapy was supposed to begin immediately.
It was more than a year overdue, but because of how the testing is administered by our school district, Sam had not been receiving Speech and Language services, even though when he was finally seen for Pragmatic Language, his scores were – as I suspected – abysmal.
It is time for another round of phone calls, another slate of check-ins to see if my son is receiving the services he is supposed to receive. What happens to the children whose parents don’t realize they have the right to insist on services, who don’t know to follow up?
Saturday night I bumped into a young woman I know through theatre who has been a first grade teacher for two years. She was bursting to tell me about a conference she had attended that focused on Parents Rights.
“Do you know that you have these rights, Julie? When I heard them talking, I thought of you. I wanted to be sure you know.”
I smiled. “Yes, I know. And it is the implementation, like everything else, that is so challenging. And thank you so much for thinking of me.”
I am most concerned for Samuel’s rights not as a child with autism, but as a human being who should be treated with respect and care just as any of us should expect.
We have come a long way. We have a long way to go.