Comments on: You are smarter than you act http://www.disabilitypride.com/2007/05/08/you-are-smarter-than-you-act/ the intersection of parenting with a disability and parenting kids with disabilities Fri, 16 May 2008 12:44:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Deanna http://www.disabilitypride.com/2007/05/08/you-are-smarter-than-you-act/#comment-11717 Deanna Tue, 13 May 2008 16:32:34 +0000 http://www.disabilitypride.com/2007/05/08/you-are-smarter-than-you-act/#comment-11717 This sounds just like my house. Only Caleb can't read, although he does recognize many [10] letters. He loves books though, and magazines, and telephone directories. I think it's the tactile sensation of the thin pages. He has CP and only has gross motor control of his right hand, so turning a single page is a victory. And then the ultimate victory celebration, he tears the page out and drops it on the floor! We've explained to him that if he just drops pages wherever, he will loose the choice of "reading" his book or magazine. But, if he makes a concious effort to put the pages into the garbage that's ok, even if it still lands on the floor. It works for him. It's only taken him 5 years to start making that choice consistently. Oh well, another day in Caleb Land. This sounds just like my house. Only Caleb can’t read, although he does recognize many [10] letters. He loves books though, and magazines, and telephone directories. I think it’s the tactile sensation of the thin pages. He has CP and only has gross motor control of his right hand, so turning a single page is a victory. And then the ultimate victory celebration, he tears the page out and drops it on the floor!
We’ve explained to him that if he just drops pages wherever, he will loose the choice of “reading” his book or magazine. But, if he makes a concious effort to put the pages into the garbage that’s ok, even if it still lands on the floor. It works for him. It’s only taken him 5 years to start making that choice consistently. Oh well, another day in Caleb Land.

]]> By: Carrie Ann Lucas http://www.disabilitypride.com/2007/05/08/you-are-smarter-than-you-act/#comment-2552 Carrie Ann Lucas Thu, 10 May 2007 00:27:31 +0000 http://www.disabilitypride.com/2007/05/08/you-are-smarter-than-you-act/#comment-2552 Thanks. It feels good to be writing again. Happy to see you back. Thanks. It feels good to be writing again. Happy to see you back.

]]> By: Penny http://www.disabilitypride.com/2007/05/08/you-are-smarter-than-you-act/#comment-2540 Penny Wed, 09 May 2007 12:35:58 +0000 http://www.disabilitypride.com/2007/05/08/you-are-smarter-than-you-act/#comment-2540 Welcome back! Your voice has been missing from the disability blogosphere. And the mom blogosphere too. I suspect many, many parents will recognize the homework battle (and the lasagna battle) you describe. When I taught middle school, I used "I know you know better" a lot, which is along the same lines as "you are smarter than you act." (And I admit that it was mostly to remind *myself* that a <i>great kid</i> was driving me to distraction.) A transplant last week--zowie. Hope that's going well for you. Welcome back! Your voice has been missing from the disability blogosphere. And the mom blogosphere too. I suspect many, many parents will recognize the homework battle (and the lasagna battle) you describe. When I taught middle school, I used “I know you know better” a lot, which is along the same lines as “you are smarter than you act.” (And I admit that it was mostly to remind *myself* that a great kid was driving me to distraction.)

A transplant last week–zowie. Hope that’s going well for you.

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