My Day To Brag

Well, wow, not only is this my blog so I can technically say what I want anyways, but today I have been ASKED to write about my favorite subject - my son. Yup. That's right. Parent Blogger Network is asking us to write about our children. And not only write about them, but BRAG about them! Well, I don't think I'll have any problem doing this!

Often on my blog I write about my Son's weaknesses. He is 9 and has been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome and Anxiety. Having a label on your child, well, you may as well put it on a stamp on stamp it on his forehead. His weakness are huge. Huge enough that it qualified him for a disability. But you see, he is not just a kid of weaknesses. He is also a kid of strengths. Some of his strengths are solely him, and some of them are due to the disability itself. Children with Aspergers tend to have a high IQ and my son is no exception. It has allowed him to be in a self-contained Gifted And Talented Classroom. This has allowed his strengths of science, math and thirst for knowledge to flourish.

Another common weakness of Aspergers is the need for structure, sensory integration and social interaction. My husband and I have turned this into a strength however. When he was 4 we enrolled him Tae Kwon Do. He loved it. He flourished. There was structure. There was a sensory outlet. There was social interaction - but just the right amount. And he flourished. He obtained his black belt when he was just 7 and a half! Grand Master Jhoon Rhee himself sat in on his testing. I don't know the exact statistics, but there aren't too many 7 year olds getting awarded a black belt. And he's continued with it. He's right on schedule to test for his second degree in about 6 months. He's been invited onto the schools Demo Team. He's helped out with younger kids classes. He gets invited to birthday parties from other classmates. He has completely excelled at TKD and also loves attending. Not bad for a kid with Aspergers, eh?

Through my background as a special education teacher I have been able to create behavior plans and visuals to help him function to his best ability. I have been able to advocate for him at school so that he can function at his best ability there too. He has positively responded to our interventions and I can say, without a doubt, that my son gives it is all. And that to me is all I can ask for.

It's not an easy world to live in. And it can be even harder when you have a disability. We've had our share of conversations about people not understanding him and him not understanding others. About why he sees the world differently. About why he couldn't name all the kids in his classroom until he was in 3rd grade, yet started doing square roots in his head in kindergarten.

However, he is not letting the weaknesses of his disability become him. He is succeeding at school, at a sport and at his friendships and interactions with other people. He is succeeding!

And for that I am so very proud of him.

If you could met him you'd be proud too.

So, now that I've bragged about my son, you're probably asking why did PBN asked us to do so. Well, because it's part of their promotion for Jenifer Fox's new book Your Child's Strengths. I've read the review and it looks like a wonderful resource. A perfect complement to keep inspiring my child to be his best.

And, if you'd like to read about some more fabulous children, head over here.