Perspectives

I was feeling sorry for myself today because my family has been hit financially like so many in these tough economic times.

But I waited with a parent while her child went through some extensive testing. We worked through a questionnaire, then visited as we observed her little one through the one-way glass. She, like most mothers, is very worried. Her child doesn't act or speak like most peers. She paid for an outside evaluation (I wish those people would tell parents they can get testing for free from their school district, and that we can't by law accept evaluations done by one person and not a team), and was desperate to have some answers. You could feel the waves of worry coming off her.

As we sat, I was able to reassure her that the team in the other room would do a thorough job. She was able to see how kindly they treated her child. Following the evaluation, we were able to share some recommendations that would be implemented in the classroom, and things she could do at home. She left feeling better than when she came.

I've sat with other parents in similar situations. One lost her job minutes before we met, yet was able to put that aside and focus on her child. Others have frequent visits to the emergency room with their medically fragile offspring.

Somehow financial problems don't seem all that bad.