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Presume competence.
That’s what we as parents and educators were told to do at the Peak Parent Conference in Denver when I attended in 2008. Just because a child cannot speak or communicate in a universal way doesn’t mean he or she cannot understand what you’re saying—that you’re talking about or around him.
I know Zane has way more happening in his mind than most
people give him credit for. He understands a lot. If you know him, you know
that. He simply doesn’t have the means to communicate in a way many of us
understand. I believe it’s the reason he yells at inappropriate times: It’s the
only way to garner attention.
That said, I encourage you to watch this video. It speaks
volumes about what we may be missing with our non-verbal kiddos. It is
absolutely amazing. Maybe you’ve already seen it. "Never give up." I love this dad's comment. It rings so true for me.
On a separate note, Zane’s Zeizure activity continues.
According to the neurologist’s instructions, I’ve kept him on both medications.
The Zeizures have tapered off to some degree, yet Zane still has at least one
every day. We have a new neurologist we plan to see once some things get sorted
out with his insurance.
Do you presume competence with people who are cognitively
different? Some people in the world are absolute naturals when it comes to
interacting with kids and people with differences. I am amazed by them. I
wasn’t like that until I had Zane. I was always afraid of saying the wrong
thing to a person who was differently-abled. Now I am drawn to them.
wow susan this video was amazing--i always thought my kids knew so much more too----i hope zane's seizure activity goes away but am so glad to hear it is better---and i certainly know what you mean by being "drawn to them" as am i :)
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