Being Up With Down Syndrome

The Heart of Mary Homeschool Graduation was this past week.  I was fortunate to be able to take charge of this five years ago.  It is great fun for me.  To be part of these young adults taking their first step into the future is magnificent.  We have a Graduation Mass followed by a wonderful reception.  The hall looks so so beautiful and everything in place for the graduates, family and friends to celebrate a new chapter in their lives. Every year I learn something more about the process.  Some people are always hesitant as to what this entails.  By the time the reception is in progress, they are saying how wonderful it is.  It is a service I love.  Homeschool Graduates are a fantastic group.  They are spiritual, grateful, helpful, mature beyond words, intelligent and directed!  The first Graduation our son was graduating and I was unsure how everything would go.  I was blown away by the spirituality of the Mass and then the reception!  What better sendoff for our young adults.  All

Today was a hard day for Kate.  I know what she  has become by great therapies.  I know there are great therapies in her future!  I also know that we, her family, are her advocates.  We fight for what is best for her.  If you have children, you know that a parent fighting for their child, outweighs pretty much anything. When going through the process of getting the best school for her, there is a lot of nonsense and irrelevant paperwork.  Therapists feel they can discuss Kate as if she doesn't understand what they are saying, during this process.  We found out a long time ago that she understands everything we say.  Filling out forms that have absolutely no meaning to her care, upsets me to no end.  Out of 300 questions, I answered all but 12, with a zero.  These are ir relevant questions for her.  These questions are for children with a functional disability?  Not for a child who is nonverbal and struggling with a lot. Yet the experts insist they know better than we do.  The probl