My little girl has had a lot to overcome in her life, and a lot of antagonists to face. Much of the time, however, her most daunting foe is herself. Her insecurity, her fear, her frustration, her occasional laziness, and her misunderstanding that if she plays her cards right, the world will feel bad for her and smooth the way.
Adversity builds special talents, or so we've always been told. That might be bullshit, a way to feel better about the things that hold us back beyond just "Wow, that really sucks, sorry." But it feels true enough, I guess. I'm not sure if it's a scientifically measurable phenomenon, but those of us with special needs children watch them as they work to overcome obstacles, and we hope that their other senses and capabilities step up to fill the gaps. We hope for the same within ourselves, too.
What will they see in this person, your beloved little weirdo who doesn't fit in anywhere? Will they have observed the things that set our kids apart already, or will they still be trying to fit them into preconceived spaces? Will they see your kid as a burden, or a challenge, or will they see the person you see, with flaws that certainly aren't invisible but which perhaps don't manifest in obvious ways? Will these new teachers be hesitant? Enthusiastic? Will they even know where to begin?
As a parent of a daughter for whom all this will depart the realm of the theoretical, I confess that the best part of this isn't the information that's available, although that's nice. For me, it's a great comfort just to hear someone else, particularly government agencies, say "Yeah, this is a big deal. Let's look at this and see what can be done."
