While I'm at my parent's house this weekend, I am cleaning out some files that I brought along.... including birthday party ideas, natural cleaning product recipes, Christmas, "dream house" (we won't be using that file anytime soon!) and the largest file of all- Autism. I have every single piece of paper from every single developmental pediatrician appointment, ARD meeting, therapist evaluation & notes, school notes that Sam has ever received... plus I have bulging files on contact information, biomedical interventions, therapies to try, education, stories of hope, etc... It has been interesting reading some of the early reports of Sam & his progress (I will share some of those in a different blog).

While going through this file, I came across a touching story called "The Starfish" and it's actually photocopied out of a 1996 teaching magazine called "Exclusively LD". I cried when I read it. Before having Sam, I was a Reading Recovery teacher for 1st graders, meaning I worked one-on-one with children that would normally "fall through the cracks" - they did not qualify for special education but they were falling behind in reading. It's a wonderful program that unfortunately is fading out of a lot of districts because it is expensive. Our teacher trainer, Dawn Osborne, gave us this poem to remind us that every single child matters- every single child- and that every single child has a right to learn and grow and develop to his or her fullest potential. I loved working with these children that were smart and bright and eager to learn but just needed to be taught a little differently. Amazing how we've come full circle now with a son that just finished first grade, and he is smart and bright and eager to learn, but he too learns differently.

I am so honored to know the many therapists and teachers and doctors that work with our kiddos that recognize that each and every child matters... that every minute you spend with my child or another child on the spectrum is precious and priceless and is making a difference. THANK YOU to the thousands of professionals that work tirelessly with our children, and thank you for never giving up. THANK YOU to the parents who, like us, stay up late to research, drop everything they are working on because their child finally asked to play with them, and who realize that their child's therapy is more important than any retirement fund they could have and cash it all in so that their son or daughter can have the intensive early intervention that they need. Never give up, because what you are doing does matter.

The story below is for you.

THE STARFISH
There was a young man walking down a deserted beach just before dawn. In the distance he saw a frail old man.

As he approached the old man, he saw him picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back in the sea.

The young man gazed in wonder as the old man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand to the water.

He asked, "Old man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?"

The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun.

"But, there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish!" exclaimed the young man. "How can you make any difference?"

The old man looked down at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it back to the safety of the sea, he said "I make a difference to this one."