Reflections On Daughter's Graduation

Some of you may have heard the story. I tell it often enough when, out of pride for my daughter's accomplishments, I use it as an example. You see, Amanda's second grade teacher believed she had a learning disability.

No parent wants to hear that sort of thing. But it was particularly alarming to Amanda's mother and me. Her teacher told us we were just going to have to adjust to the reality that our daughter would never live up to our expectations. In an odd sort of way she was right. She exceeded any expectations.

When the teacher told us that in her professional opinion Amanda needed to be transferred into the school's special education program,  I was dubious. You see, Amanda started reading to herself around age three. When I pointed out this observation the teacher brushed it aside saying there was another explanation for it. It wasn't what it seemed.

"What should it seem? She reads the story to me."

"She remembers it."

"Verbatim? Anyway, isn't that the sign of higher cognitive abilities, memorizing things?"

"I assure you I've been trained to identify developmental disorders."

"Yeah, well I took a few psych classes in college as well."

"Your daughter has a learning disability. I know you don't want to hear that and its completely natural..."

"She doesn't have a learning disability."

"She's not attentive in class."

"Maybe she's bored."

"You're in denial, I understand."

"Look, she doesn't have a learning disability. The only on with a disability here is you. You've got a teaching disability."

It got got uglier. I insisted the teacher's professional analysis be scrutinized, else I'm not sure what might have happened. I don't think anyone, in the longer term, would have believed Amanda had a learning disability but in the short term she might have been misclassified and put into a classroom environment not designed to best develop her mind. I hope this doesn't happen to others but I suspect it happens more often than we realize. We trust experts to tell us things. But who makes them an expert.

As Andy Hunter says in my One Over X series, "The difference between a sage and a fool is often a credential."

On May 12, 2013 Amanda received her Master of Fine Arts in Scenic Design from the University of Illinois.

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