Bursting with Pride!!

Hi again - guess who??  I've got some news that I just had to share.....my young son is in his second year of high school (groan....the teachers call this a "very trying year for students and teachers alike".....you know - raging hormones and the like!) and during the last week, made it to the Grand Finals of the Junior spelling competition - which is held every year at his school.  Well, to say his Dad and I were chuffed (proud) would be a massive understatement!!   The night before the competition he brought home 2 whole pages of words to practice!  He would only be tested on 12 words in total - but it was random selection so he had to know how to spell them all.  So we dutifully practiced his words the night before the competition and hoped for the best.  There were 9 Grand Finalist children in his grade and 27 children vying for the title of Grand Champion.  I was soooo nervous for him - and I could see that he was really nervous too - but he did so well!!!!   He was in the top 3 going into the final round and the kids had to spell words that weren't on the practice sheet, so that was a bit of a challenge.  Well he didn't win Grand Champion overall  but he did get second in his grade and Mum and Dad and Grandma were just bursting with pride!!! 

Now what makes this all the more special and incredible is that our boy has ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) - Asperger's Syndrome, as well as Tourette's Syndrome!  For him to not only get up on that stage on front of a whole heap of people - but to participate to the extent he did and do so well - was a truly major and momentous achievement!!!  All our years of occupational therapy, training, teaching, perservering, drawing pictures,  helping him to gain confidence and grow as a person - paid off in that one night.  I am very privileged to be a part of this very special, fine young man's life.

Cheers

Sandy