A key: other parents

  I don't play video games,  never have and probably never will but my family does and I see that in some of them there are keys to be found.  Keys that hold power.  Keys that unlock doors.  Keys that take one to the next level.  In some cases the game is incomplete without using a key at some point. 

This is no game but there is a key in other parents help and advice.  There is a key in a supportive community that understands what one is up against.

In my case this weekend someone who has gone before showed me their information and it was absolutely invaluable to me.  Their help and the exchange of information was something that didn't cost anything but was very helpful.

I have now seen an IEP.  I now have a draft of a pretty decent looking IEP.  I now feel better about everything. 

I see how a parent other than myself is handling the dyslexia in their family.  This sort of information is a key. 

Being open to other parents and what they have to offer is a real gift.

In a parent magazine this month I was reading an article about special needs children and it was talking about how you don't find much on the Internet (personally I disagree although I do think we all need to be careful about what we read and filter using our own common sense). 

That article also talked about how a parent doesn't have to educate the world (apparently I don't agree with that either or I wouldn't be writing this blog with the hope that it helps at least one other child).

Finally, it talked about all the crazy parents giving out advice online or wherever. 

While there is some truth to that since I have heard about some ridiculous solutions to problems like bed wetting and so forth, still, there is a part of me that is (to paraphrase Anne Frank) sure of the inherent goodness of most people.