4 Years

Yesterday was the 4th anniversary of my blog. A LOT has happened in those 4 years!

The picture above is how Z looked 4 years ago. I started this blog 3 months after we started homeschooling. Z was halfway through 7th grade and failing all of his classes. Z's TS, along with co-morbid ADD, OCD, Executive Dysfunction, and dysgraphia, made it impossible for him to successfully learn in a classic high-school setting. At the time we didn't know how we were going to conquer his learning disabilities. All we knew was that we couldn't stand back and watch a kid with a 131+ IQ fall through the cracks of our public education system.

When we pulled Z out of school his self-esteem was shot. Frustration with his ADD and OCD caused him to overreact to his failures. Meltdowns and rages were common. Anxiety attacks and a nervous stomach, bordering on gastritis, further hindered his attention span. There were many times that Z's ever-changing tics prevented him from reading or holding a pencil. At this time learning was excruciatingly slow! Z required constant one-on-one supervision to keep him on task.

I had been constantly researching Z's conditions ever since he was diagnosed with TS in the 3rd grade. Homeschooling required even MORE research, both for learning materials and for methods to overcome his handicaps. We tried hundreds of learning methods. A few methods worked, most didn't.

2 yrs ago, I ordered a book on speed reading and a book on memory enhancement techniques. With all the reading that special-ed homeschooling required, I felt I needed a few time saving techniques. I never got the chance to read those 2 books....but Z did. While I was at work, Z read those books and discovered the breakthrough I'd been searching for.

Speed reading enabled Z to hyper-focus on his reading, which miraculously bypassed his ADD. Up to this point, the only books that Z had ever finished were the first 4 Harry Potter books. After completing his self-taught speed reading course, there was no stopping him. Z BECAME A VORACIOUS READER! The following 2 yrs found Z teaching himself history, science, and english. There was no stopping his quest for knowledge!

The next 2 yrs we will be concentrating on math and filling in a few gaps in his other subjects. We're all confident that Z will breeze through his GED when we finish those subjects.

This winter Z has been researching career choices. Z understands his strengths and weaknesses and is trying to find a good match for his future. Z knows that there are certain careers that he just wouldn't be good at. He also knows that it's hard to find a stable career in our current economy. Z's not alone in his search. It's extremely difficult for our youth to find a way to support themselves right now.
This is how Z looks today....a cocky, know-it-all, mouthy, thoughtful, loving teenager. Z will always have to deal with his disabilities, but I have no doubt that he'll continue to teach himself the best way to handle his life.