Of Different Minds , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Maren Angelotti

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

118 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

Parents of children with learning differences, such as ADD/ADHD and dyslexia, have a unique and exciting road ahead of them. This phenomenon may have been perceived as a burden when their child was first diagnosed, but know that God does not make mistakes. Therefore, parents must refocus their personal expectations of what their child should be and find out where God is guiding this child. It is time to become God's helper in raising his child. In Of Different Minds, readers will learn why their child is wired a little differently and how to cope with and educate this incredible person. The book also addresses parental denial and the mystery and fear surrounding ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, and related disorders; the toll on marriage; how to parent these children; the future of the family; and the future for these children. Can a learning different child be successful? Of course, says Maren Angelotti, and here are the tools to set parents and their children on the path to success.

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	02 janvier 2009
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441224552
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0432€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

© 2008 Maren Angelotti
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition created 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-2455-2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The New English Bible . © The Delegates of Oxford University Press and The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970, 1989. Reprinted by permission.
The other versions used are:
KJV—King James Version . Authorized King James Version.
NIV —Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
I dedicate this book to my four children—Christopher, Jaclyn, Nicholas and Alicia—who have brought me tremendous joy. Thank you for sharing your learning differences with the world. You are my heroes. Remember, you are loved!
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction: My Story
SECTION ONE The What and Why of Learning Differences
1. What Are Learning Differences?
2. God’s Purposes in Learning Differences
SECTION TWO Parenting Your Learning-Different Child
3. What’s a Parent to Do?
4. Good News About Bad Behavior
5. Making Sense of Adolescence
6. Mom to the Rescue!
7. Where’s Dad?
SECTION THREE Educating Your Learning-Different Child
8. An Education in Schooling
9. Higher Education: Will They Make It?
SECTION FOUR At Home with Your Learning-Different Child
10. Marriage Matters
11. Brothers and Sisters: Where Do I Fit In?
12. Grandparent Input: Bridging the Generations
Conclusion: Moving Forward Together
Resources
Don’t Just Take It from Me My Kids’ Experiences in Their Own Words
Out of the Mouths of Babes Quotes from Children with Learning Differences
Learning-Different Schools in the United States
Learning-Different Testing Facilities and Therapists
Sea of Denial Survey
Couples’ Bible Study
Singles’ Bible Study

Glossary
Endnotes
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
Acknowledgments
I want to acknowledge several special people in my life. First and foremost, my beloved husband, Bob, whose humor, constant love and Christ-like spirit keep us all centered. To my parents, Charles J. Chodzko, Jr. (Papa) and Mary T. Chodzko (Gommie), whose constant support and encouragement have been invaluable to us throughout the years—you mean the world to your children, 15 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.
I would also like to thank my colleagues: Gayle Chilcoat, M.Ed., CALT, whose insight and love of the learning-different population never ceases. Janet Arnold, Ph.D., a gifted and talented learning specialist who truly cares about learning-different people, for her diligence and hard work in making me understand the true meaning of “ADD.” Suzanne Stell, M.Ed., CALT and Head of School for the Shelton School, who took the time and wisdom to see the gifts of my children—thank you for being there from the start and guiding us to the finish line. Joyce Pickering, Hum. D., CCC-SLP, CALT, QI, and Executive Director of the Shelton School, whose invaluable research, inspired by her genuine love for this population, will contribute to fulfilling futures for learning-different students—thank you for believing not only in my children’s success but in my own, and for being an incredible mentor and valued friend. To the entire Shelton community—thank you for your dedication to and love of learning-different individuals. I am honored to know all of you. You have inspired me to do what I do on a daily basis. Thank you for being part of my life.
I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Daniel Amen, M.D., Medical Director and CEO of the Amen Clinics. Your outstanding research and dedication to uncovering the mysteries of the AD/HD mind will forever change the way learning differences are perceived. I appreciate your kind words of encouragement on this project. And to Dr. Todd Clements, M.D.—thank you for your constant encouragement and education on the SPECT imaging for this project. My family is forever in your debt. It has been an honor to work with you.
To all my students, past and present, that continue to humble me—thank you for allowing me into your moments of struggle. You never give up, even when the going gets tough. You always see the deeper vision of what could be, and you are not afraid to make it a reality. You are the ones who will change the world.
Above all, I want to express my eternal gratitude to Almighty God, the Creator, who is forever faithful. By Him and in His image, each person is “wonderfully made” and given a mind in which to know Him and His unending love.
INTRODUCTION
My Story
“She just doesn’t stay on task.”
“She is not working up to her potential.”
“We know that she is very bright, but she just appears lazy.”
“He doesn’t turn his homework in on time. Could you please make sure that he is doing it at home?”
“He talks and talks and talks. That’s why his name is on the board every day.”
“She always seems so worried. Is there something going on at home?”
I am the mother of four unique and wonderful children. I heard phrases like the ones above for years, and they defined three of my children throughout their early educational careers. Two of them were diagnosed with ADD, dyslexia and related disorders by the time they had reached fourth grade. Our youngest was diagnosed with auditory processing disorder and ADD at the end of her freshman year of high school.
Both my husband and I have learning differences as well; I have dyslexia and Bob has ADD. Our children had very little chance to escape these differences—they are hereditary—so our family has chosen to embrace them, to learn from them and to try to change the world through them. My husband has a wonderful sense of humor, and that has been the saving grace many times on our journey.
Bob and I decided that I would be a stay-at-home mom. I was thrilled about this decision when I was about eight-and-a-half months pregnant with Chris, our firstborn; I was so excited at the prospect of being there at every stage of his life, watching him grow up. After Chris was about four months old, however, I was bored and incredibly lonely. The transition was very difficult. I had had a good job with a bank and loved being on the go all the time, and suddenly I was on call for this baby who slept around the clock. None of our friends were having babies yet, so there was no one to talk to during the day. I could see why so many women in our society want to return to their jobs at the sixth-month mark, but I could also see that going back to work so soon would be selfish.
I kept plugging on until Chris was about six or seven months old, and it was then I realized that the early months of motherhood were a time to prepare myself for raising God’s child. Instead of being bored and lonely, I had a chance to quiet myself and listen to God in my prayer time, asking Him how to parent this child. I realized that it was not about me anymore; it was about me giving myself totally to someone else. I thought I had done this when I married, but this level of selfless giving was something new altogether.
The boredom and loneliness that seemed to overpower me in the early days gave way to a new kind of busy when I became pregnant again only eight months after Chris was born. My pregnancy with Jackie made me want to spend as much time as possible with Chris, and our alone-time together laid an important foundation that time at a daycare center never could. Little did I know that my early decision to choose staying at home over myself would prepare me to raise four wonderful children, three of whom were challenged by learning differences.
The truth is, another person cannot love our children the way we do. I encourage parents to scrutinize their situations fearlessly and honestly to determine whether or not they are leaving their child out of true necessity. Take time to become the parents God intended; it will surpass any job you leave behind or put on hold. The days may seem tedious sometimes, but when each day is stitched together over the years, they make the most beautiful tapestry of a little soul.
Chris was an easy child to raise. He always wanted to please. When asked to watch out for his brother and sisters, he usually did a great job because he was very intuitive about his siblings. He may not have understood their learning differences, but he did know how to help them understand life situations. One such situation happened when my husband was driving the kids one blustery winter afternoon to meet me at a church function. The roads were icy and the three youngest children were being kids, laughing and carrying on in the back seat. Chris was up front in the passenger side when Bob, my husband, spun out on the ice, doing a complete 360. Chris turned around to the back seat and said very calmly, “Everyone be quiet. This is important. We are having an accident. Hold on to each other, please.” The car came to a complete stop in the middle of the freeway. When he saw that no other cars were around, Chris asked Bob, “What are we supposed to do now?” Chris always watched out for his brother and sisters.
That doesn’t mean that being a big brother to his learning-different siblings hasn’t been a challenge for Chris; his patience has often been tried by their literal understanding of the world. I can see now that we did not