>Perfect Post Awards
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But today, I present you with a post I loved. Loved! Judith Ursitti writes a blog over at Parents.com called Autismville and she is such an amazing writer that I find myself reading it all the time, despite the fact that I don’t personally know anyone who has been diagnosed with autism. This post, “Of Dreams and Showtunes,” is a beautiful, heartfelt example of why I love Judith’s writing so much. And that’s why I’m giving Judith my Perfect Post Award for the month of December. Congratulations, Judith!!
And now, I hope you’ll go and check out the other Perfect Post Award winners for December, listed here and over at my co-host, Kimberly’s place. Hopefully, you’ll find a few new blogs to add to your blogroll.
Petroville awarded Serving the Queens
Slouching Mom awarded Dark and Divine
North of the Border awarded Poppy Joy
Adventures in Japan awarded The QC Report
Where’s the Mute Button awarded Chez Beziat
Dark and Divine awarded Madness, Madness I Say!
Belle of the Blog awarded Mimi on the Breach
Foggy City Mommy awarded Tami, Ben and Dallas
Miss Cellania awarded Holties House
Poot and Cubby awarded The Z Files
Rura and Miss awarded I am David’s Doll
Ladybug Crossing awarded A Room of Mama’s Own
Using My Words awarded Woman on the Verge
Slouching Past 40 awarded FlutterCrafts
From the Frontlines awarded Professor J’s Place
Poop Happens awarded Open Book
Moosh in Indy awarded Loralee’s Looney Tunes
What Was I Thinking? awarded Fox in Detox
>Thanks for the link to the post…it was thought provoking….As someone who has worked, supported and advocated for Autistic children…actually been the one to sit down at IEP’s and lay down the case for why each child needs, X and Y and Z….I can also see the point of the comment (although, not for the same mean-spirited reason.)I think EVERY child is a blessing, contributes to our world, regardless of differences, and often because of them. Every child deserves a quality education…however, I dont know that our public schools ARE ABLE to provide them.When you start to add up the costs for one child to have an aide, and a few therapies, and the time for his meetings and reports and testing takes up a disproportional amount of time for the over-worked teacher….well, that takes away from the also deserving other students. It doesnt mean any child should be short-changed, it just means we have a system that isnt able to do it all.I still remember going in to argue with my boss, about services for a special needs child, and she said, “my child has needs to…but I cant expect the state to correct what God has given me.””OUCH” I thought, how cruel!!!!But that has stuck with me…even now, as my own child has special needs (which are not met by the school….and to boot, I pay for a private school….but anyways….)I think the comment, ultimately, says more about our broken system, than it does to the value of any one child.All children are special gifts from God..to be nurtured and appreciated. I just dont know that our abysmal public education system can be expected to do those jobs.
>Wow Lindsay. Thank you, thank you for the shout out. So incredibly cool!!!And, I just can’t help myself, but I have to respond to the first comment from heartshapedhedges…Your comment is completely understandable. There are only so many resources and I do think of my child as a gift. And like you, unfortunately I’ve had to fork out the big bucks for private school because the public school didn’t step up. I couldn’t afford to wait for them to do the right thing..The comment made by your boss really troubled me. The huge piece of info she was missing is that federal law mandates a free and appropriate public education for children with qualifying disabilities. It’s not a warm/fuzzy, if-we-can-afford-it option. It has nothing to do with pulling resources from other students. It’s a mandate… It’s the law. Sounds like she wasn’t really thinking about that piece of it.The federal government needs to do a better job of funding that mandate. Just like wheelchair ramps are required by law by the ADA, an individualized education is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Whoaa… got carried away there. And I know I’m preaching to the choir. You are right. The system is messed up. Gosh I hope we can improve upon that.
>Hi Judith,Actually, my boss wasnt referring to education, but to other services.At the time, I was working for the State Department of Developmental Disabilities, and advocating for some respite and/or therapy services for a client. My boss’s point, while harsh, ultimately pointed to the fact that those of us with kids all have issues, and while some of them are “provided” by the state (or schools, or whomever)…there are also other parents that expect government to provide the resources to completely even out the “playing field”…and that just isnt possible. It would be nice if it were possible….at least for the family with the need….but once you start having the government providing for every single thing….well, WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT and we then dont have the resources to do anything at all.Of course, this isnt pertaining to education, but in may ways it speaks to the scenario of a broken (and overly beauracratic and wasteful and dumbed down) system that just cant handle the load.
>You should possibly go to prison for aiding and abetting my blog addiction!!
>Thanks so much for the link. My son is on the autism spectrum and while his case is not severe, we still have our challenges here on a regular basis, so it’s always nice to find new sites I hadn’t heard about before.
>Thank you hearshapedheedges for clarifying ..Jumbled beauracratic mess is right … Sigh..I just wish I could win the lottery a million times over and help every child that needs it.Will this heart ever outgrow its bleeding nature … 🙂 Doubtful!
>Hi there! I am thinking you missed my nomination? 🙂