Let me echo my thanks Sue for posting your awesome update and starting this thread. It would have been so helpful for my mental health back when DD was 6 to have a glimmer of what the future would look like.
After all the years of struggle - evaulations, diagnoses, services, fighting to get her what she needs, etc - DD is really, truly thriving. My go to phrase these days when people ask how she is doing or how school is going is to say "I have to admit that I am embarrassed to say how well she is doing." I don't want to jinx it and I certainly don't want to make someone in the midst of the struggle feel bad. But really - she is doing better than I ever could have dreamed possible.
My advice to those in an earlier place in the journey is do your research and give yourself a break. There is a HUGE learning curve - you have to educate yourself on the law, your school district (and other options in your area), best practices, what does and doesn't work for your particular child and so much more. This takes time so stop, breathe and don't rush the process. Seek out other parents on a similar journey here or in real life. Even if something doesn't apply to you right now listen and absorb it - this information may lead to something useful down the road. (As the parent of a complex 2e kid with 11 different diagnoses I never knew what would be coming at us next...) Stay open minded. Allow well intentioned folks in even if you at first doubt their sincerity. (We now have a fairly long list of "knights in shining armour" who have been committed to DD and her success.) Be willing to think outside the box and try things other parents you trust have found to be helpful. (I ruled out vision therapy because our local practioner had poor results with everyone I knew who tried it. After reading about really good results here I researched and found a very good one about a half hour away. It was life changing for DD.) Be willing to share your insights and help other parents following behind you on a similar journey.
Most importantly know you are not alone even when it feels that way. DD has a
unique program getting both the help and the advanced work she needs. She is happy, healthy and as eager to stretch her intellectual muscles as ever. She was 6 and just coming out of kindergarten when I joined this board. She had just been diagnosed with every possible LD, had off the charts anxiety, was starting to develop migraines and was so smart she HAD to be lazy, refusing to do her work or trying to manipulate everyone because people couldn't believe it was possible for all her challenges to be real. She will turn 14 next month and have a mid-year exceleration to 9th grade in January so she can start banking high school credits since she is taking HS classes anyway. Her LD issues no longer dictate her schooling but they remain an issue to work around. But that's ok. She accepts them as part of who she is and understands what she has to do to work around them.
So thanks again Sue for the thread. And best wishes to all with little ones at an earlier stage of the journey.
