Today I have to brag about my 6th grade son David. Several months ago he decided to participate in his middle school spelling bee. This afternoon, the spelling bee was held at school and he scored third overall among 6th, 7th & 8th graders, and second among the 6th graders. He was so proud to receive a silver medal.
His accomplishment may not be overly significant to most, however, to stand in front of a large number of people, keep cool under pressure and spell from memory without the ability to write the words down (something I certainly can't do) was mind-blowing to me for two reasons. The first is that this is really not his forte. He is very smart and loves to read, but again, spelling in your head is so much different than writing it down. The second is because he is autistic.
When we first received his diagnosis many years ago, my husband and I were basically told he would never amount to much. It was one of the worst days of my life. But we always pushed, helped and exposed him to different things. He has a love of learning, museums and books. He is confident, stood up to a bully this year, has achieved high honors all year and became a member of his middle school Student Council.
We are so proud of him, so grateful for the wonderful teachers we have had along the way, so thankful for our fantastic tutor (and friend), Carol and proud of ourselves for our continued efforts in pushing forward and continually overcoming obstacles. He is growing into a very driven and successful young man.
I revel in the multitude of ways he has proven and continues to prove his prognosis was wrong. He continues to amaze me with his scholastic accomplishments.
I love you David and I am so proud of you!
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