Chicago Special Parent Magazine 2008

MY LIFE Of mothers and Mission Control When special needs require reinvention ouston, we have a problem.’ It’s not exactly what the pediatrician or teacher tells a mother when her child is identified as one with special needs, but the meaning’s the same. From that moment on, a parent’s mission is changed, perhaps forever. But there’s another line from the story of Apollo 13 that defines many of our efforts to plot this unfamiliar course through medicine, education and life: “Failure is not an option.” If you remember the film about the doomed space mission you’ll recall how engineers on earth wrestled with the challenge of getting the stranded astronauts back home after an explosion and system failure aboard their spacecraft. The experts in Houston could use only those items aboard Apollo 13 so the astronauts could fashion a fix to help the ship o hold through re-entry into the ry atmosphere. As a mother of a child on the autism spectrum, rum, I’ve had much to consider nsider as I try to navigate questions of medical care, speech, ech, occupational and physiysical therapies, education tion and an overall treatment ment plan. Some researchers s lopstudying neuro-developmily ment believe the family BY JOAN DRUMMOND OLSON ‘H plays a pivotal role in a child’s ability to form healthy relationships and extend the connections he or she can make, perhaps assuring a richer future. So the theory goes, if the family becomes an almost athome therapeutic center, they can succeed in this vital mission to bring the child back to the planet of relating, communicating and perhaps learning. According to this science, the family has the power to alter the course of this human ship flying off course. How could the stakes be any higher than that of a human life and the future of one’s own child? Parents cannot help but draw the conclusion, “Failure is not an option.” And yet, with each meltdown at a birthday party, with each missed social cue, with each consonant-vowel combination our child hasn’t mastered, aren’t we g p pp y failing? How can parents supply half of equa the therapeutic equation adequately here? mother Some mothers and r fathers become relentself-educator less self-educators and pa trainers. Some parents sch ask their local schools to do what the th engineers on the ground had to do for the astro astronauts aboard Apoll 13. Apollo piece Fit square pieces hole in round holes; rethink les lessons and how everyone aboard can accomplish goals successfully and yes, use lots and lots of duct tape to create a new path to inclusion and learning. Some parents simply retreat, overwhelmed by the awesome responsibility. The lesson from Apollo 13 is this. No one at Mission Control slept much while those astronauts were in space. Nobody had a bad idea and everyone contributed. The mission was simple and it was clear: Do whatever you need to bring those men home alive. Nothing else was more important. While they didn’t discuss it much, everyone acknowledged the fear that drove them all to think smarter, work harder and create, create, create. Failure, in those days, was not an option. And neither is it now, as my generation of mothers and fathers are faced with an unthinkable future of isolation for our children with autism. We will make some angry, we will ask for more, we will work therapists and teachers harder (but no harder than ourselves.) We will annoy politicians as we badger them for research, treatment and education dollars. We will not stop asking questions and pushing square pieces into round holes. We will always have duct tape. And we will not fail. Joan Drummond Olson is a mom and freelance writer living in Elmhurst. Sign up for the Ch Chicago Parent Weekend E-dition at Wee Chic ChicagoParent.com ~ Fostering a Child‛s Happiness & Success through Academic & Developmental Growth ~ Let us find the perfect nanny for your family. We specialize in active role models who support your family’s lifestyle. We can even employ your nanny. Our nannies are: Experienced • Screened • Safe • Flexible Part-time Full-time Occasional use For more information, call or visit an area center or on the web at www.collegenannies.com or www.collegetutors.com Chicago Parent Mom Tested. Mom Treasured. College Nannies & Tutors of Chicagoland 3090 N. Lake Terrace • Glenview, IL 60026 (847) 998-5657 • Toll Free (877) Nanny-08 Chorwitz@collegenannies.com Stress? Pain? Need a break? WE CAN HELP! Professional massage for parents & children. Program for HYPERACTIVE KIDS NEW! & their parents. Hands Over Stress, Inc Medical & Wellness Massage 4817 W. Montrose, Chicago ChicagoParent.com | Specıal Parent 2008 CHICAGO | 15 http://ChicagoParent.com http://ChicagoParent.com http://ChicagoParent.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Chicago Special Parent Magazine 2008

Chicago Special Parent Magazine 2008 Contents In Our Shoes Of Mothers and Mission Control A Love Story Keeping the Whole Family Well What Do I Do? Resources God's Special Child Our Kids Inspirations

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