"I thought I was dumb"

Isn't she cute? We sure think so! This was the first day of second grade. She was so excited to go back to school. I hope it stays that way. You see Makinna has trouble learning to read. By the middle of second grade she was still reading at a beginning first grade level, despite the reading program, despite her hard work and ours and the teachers. So we decided to have her tested for a learning disability, you know nip it in the bud now and not wait until she's failing everything!
The results of the testing came back and said basically that she had "average intelligence" but "well below average reading skills" so they diagnosed her with a learning disability in reading. So I decided to break the news to Makinna and wasn't really sure how she would take it. I told her that she was just as smart as everyone else but she needed extra help in reading. She slowly looked up and me and a big grin covered her face ..."oh mom I thought I was just dumb!" My heart sank and I wanted to cry. All this time I thought she just didn't notice! But she did, she knew she was struggling and that most of her classmates were doing better than her. She never said a word.
Now we can get her help. Next Monday we have her IEP meeting to come up with a plan to help her. Ugggg!!! Two kids in "special education"!

Boys Will Be Boys (even autistic ones)

Sometimes I have to remind my self that Gage is a little boy first and an autistic little boy second. He likes all the things little boys like, cars, airplanes, motorcycles, mud and dirt.He likes to run and swing. He likes to tease his big sister. He likes to play with other kids, even if he really doesn't know how.
The problem comes with control. You see Gage really doesn't care if he does something he's not supposed to. He just knows he wants to and that's that! So I learn to pick my battles, really set boundaries on important issues, like safety and property damage and other peoples rights. But is it really worth the battle to tell Gage he can't make a mud puddle at the bottom of the slide in 80 degree weather? No not really, he is a boy after all and they love mud...besides he left me alone for a whole hour!