Shea taught himself to read. We were shocked when he consistently pointed to the correct flashcard when his teacher asked him to identify a word on the card. We think he learned to read by watching his Disney Sing-a-long songs videos( over and over again), with the little bouncing ball over each word as it is sung. He still enjoys watching them. 3. You are your child’ s greatest advocate. It can be tiring; sometimes it feels like we’ re always fighting for our kids. Remember that no one else cares as much as you do. 4. Our kids are smart. They want to learn and they want to show what they’ ve learned. Give them choices. Sometimes they process a bit slower, so it takes them a little longer to follow through after a request is made. Make sure teachers and therapists are aware of this and are patient. 5. Diet makes a difference. Good nutrition along with supplements can help with sleep problems and may alleviate the severity of seizures. 6. There are moms and dads around the globe that are dealing with or have found the answer to many of the problems / concerns you are facing. Connect with them. If you can, attend a conference or get-together( and Walk-a-thon) where you have the opportunity to be meet other Angel families. We help our Angels as we help one another.
When Shea was about 8 or 9 years old, we had the opportunity to visit with the neurologist that gave us the diagnosis( and pronounced the dismal life ahead for Shea). The Doctor wanted to use Shea as an example of a neurological disorder to a group of doctors and nurses. He was quite surprised( and said as much) to see a young boy walk into the room and sit fairly quietly in the chair he was directed to and who seemed to understand the directions he was given by his mom. We also explained that though Shea might have some developmental delays, the doctor using the“ R” word in his discussion was not appropriate and was offensive. We hope that doctor learned to never put a limit on an Angel’ s abilities.
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