The Northwest Voice

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Continuing from last month …

It seems a phone call from school regarding student behavior is more likely to result in a note from a doctor, special advocate or a lawyer saying the student is not responsible for the misconduct, missing school work, poor attitude, profanity, or disruption.  The net result is that the poor behavior continues and more meetings and testing with more specialists is the most likely result.  The material the student needs to learn, how to work with teachers and other authority figures, working with peers including the ones we don’t like, and the need to improve self-discipline remain.  It seems as if it were more important that the child be allowed to follow his or her impulses than learn to control them.

If your child is dyslexic you don’t get out of having to find a way for your child to learn from books.  If your child loses a leg you don’t get out of having your child remain physically active and involved in sports and recreational activities.  If your child goes through a divorce you don’t get out of helping your child to form future trusting relationships.  The diagnosis, or label, is just the starting point for what we have to do as parents.  A “label” does not exempt you from anything.  In fact, it increases parental responsibility.

Let’s jump eight to ten years ahead and use the label as exemption from responsibility.  Dear Mr. Employer, please hire my child.  He has a poor attention span, doesn’t focus well and will move around distractedly bothering others while at work.  What do you mean “No.”?  I have a note from his doctor saying it’s OK.  Dear Mrs. Employer, My child has a note from his doctor saying he can’t complete all the work related to his employment when it is assigned … I hope that is perfectly OK?  Dear Ms Employer, My child needs to have flexible work hours because he doesn’t “Do” mornings.  Also, he doesn’t like to wear pants and shoes so I’m sure this note from my Doctor’s Nurse will allow him to wear flip/flops and shorts while in the office.  Dear Mr. UPS/Fed Ex/DHL/Delivery Employer please hire my child.  Just know I have to write notes periodically because she can’t walk a mile, lift objects, move on hot days … or cold days … or windy days … or high humidity days… or when the pollen count is high, or I’ll have the doctor write a note.

Yeah, that will probably work.