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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