HeightenedLearning

Saturday, October 01, 2005

Making Peace with Autism

Walking by the community bulletin board at Simmons College, a flier caught my eye for a family who needed one-on-one instruction for their son with autism. After having years of personal experience with autism, I was ready to deepen my understanding and awareness of this familiar although mysterious developmental disorder.

I was profoundly humbled by all my interactions with the whole family. There were days when Nat, the son, shined so brightly that we were able to accomplish more than his independent education plan could have predicted. Other days, I could not get through and connecting was heart wrenching for me as I craved Nat's attention just as he craved kidney beans with more cumin than one would think humanly possible to digest.

Sadly, our time began to fade. As a growing adolescent, his behaviors became unpredictable during our lessons and I was unable help him while keeping my own insecurities hidden.

Over the years, I have been honored to keep in touch with the Senator family. Nat's latest milestone being his bar mitzvah!

Today, a new window has opened in which I am pleased to view their family life. Susan Senator, super mom & amazing writer, has published her family's memoirs entitled Making Peace with Autism.

~Danielle

Harry Potter on Campus

Freshman Runs Potter Website

"After living 10 years of his life in an average family, Harry Potter had a striking moment of self-discovery: he was actually a wizard, one of the most famous wizards in the magical world. And much like the famous young boy, Notre Dame's own Harry Potter - freshman Emerson Spartz - has been thrown from several years of home schooling into a college campus where, to many Potter fans, he is already famous."

~~~

I absolutely adore reading about what homeschoolers do aside from their academic studies. I can't imagine a better way to learn than to embrace one's passions and then transform them into creative ventures. I have certainly learned a ton from starting my own business in education.

Emerson is surely more ready for college than the majority of his peers. He knows what he wants, and furthermore -- he knows how to get it!

~Danielle