Everyone things I'm crazy for being excited

[katholischen_miliz]

My son. My crazy, hyper, non verbal, lovable son, is being offered to be taught cross country track. Guys, guys, the coach saw my kid running at recess and CAME UP TO HIS TEACHER to ask if he can start now teaching my kid track! Son can't join the club until he is in 3rd grade, but the coach wants to start now. The coach is introducing himself to my kid every day, has chosen a couple kids to help my kid learn the ropes.

The problem? He runs away from people, and he is fast. When I tell people how excited I am that my son is going to do track, they keep making the same joke, "It'S sO hArD tO kEeP uP wItH hIm NoW, aNd YoU'rE mAkInG hIm FaStEr?!?!?!111" You're damn right I am! He is good at it. He loves it. Somebody saw my son and didn't think he was a bad kid, or not raised right. No. He saw my kid and thought, "I can show him how to do it right." Even knowing it would take extra work! I wanted to cry I was so proud. Still am! I'm going to defend my kid until the end of my days on this. My kid has a hobby! Yay!

Edit to add: Thank you all for the awards and congrats and love. It's MLK day, so he's out of school for the day. He's getting lots of hugs and cuddles, and of course running around the house.

 

[dcjh]

@katholischen_miliz Someone saw your kid, and saw the kid and the abilities, not the just the hyper, not just the non-verbal. I think that's awesome. I think the coach is awesome, and I think you standing up for your kid is awesome.

Kick ass, little dude.

 

[peace967]

@dcjh This right here. I hope he has the most run. I hope he learns to control and pace really well and I'm sure this will be helpful to him socially. I hope this be edits him in countless ways. I think awesome when a kid gets something they can harness and be proud of!

 

[roneil]

@dcjh Well now I’m crying

 

[ruth2010]

@katholischen_miliz If he has a run buddy and they show him the course ahead of time and show him this is where we can run, we don’t run outside of this course that might help too!

I work in sped and nothing makes me more excited than when I find a talent or interest of my students that we can grow!

I work with a girl who cannot and will not sit still... but if you explain the rules of a strategy board game and play it with her she will have lazer focus and beat you as soon as she gets the hang of the rules. I’m learning basic chess strategy so I can keep up with her.

I have a student who is a master of jigsaw puzzles.

I had a student who was great at origami. Before that it was rocks and we would looks for rocks on our walks.

This coach sounds like someone like me who saw your son has an interest and a little natural talent and wants to help him grow that into a hobby! It will take work but I think if your son can grasp the “rules” of his new hobby he’s going to be wonderful!

Edit: and you aren’t making him faster, you are helping him channel that speed into something he can use!

 

[katholischen_miliz]

@ruth2010 That's why he is teaching him now. My son is only in kindergarten, so he has a while. The coach wants him to learn the track and how to do the beginnings.

 

[ruth2010]

@katholischen_miliz Perfect!! I am so excited for you and your son!

I have a student I work with who sounds a lot like your son does now. He’s a runner! His para before me worked really hard with him to help him know where it’s ok to run and where it isn’t. He’s a great kid!

 

[katholischen_miliz]

@ruth2010 That's what they're struggling with now. He escapes often, so they are trying to teach him that running is okay in certain situations. They even have a space for him to run in class. Poor kid just has to move.

 

[ruth2010]

@katholischen_miliz He’ll get there! It just takes time, patience, and consistency. I think having this outlet for him to run will be so good for him

 

[frannnie]

@katholischen_miliz Would he run on a treadmill?

 

[iqreader]

@katholischen_miliz Seriously, what she said. Your friends are crazy for not being over the moon about this. You don't help kids by beating their issues it of them, you help them by teaching then what do DO with their abilities!! You are so kick ass for recognizing this.

 

[ruth2010]

@iqreader I like to call it steering into the skid!

Don’t push the other way, take what they are doing and redirect it into something useful to them.

It takes more work and a little creativity but the results are breathtaking!

It’s like the judo of teaching, I want to write a book about it someday.

 

[katrina2017]

@ruth2010 Yes! I've always just called it channeling - like, a river is going to flow, but it can be diverted away from a town and channeled toward a place that needs water.

 

[ruth2010]

@katrina2017 Oh! I like that!

 

[zoex]

@katholischen_miliz YAY!!!!!!!!!!

 

[disneydude]

@zoex I 2nd, this is amazing!! Love seeing kids doing what they love at a competitive level.

 

[rgsfds]

@katholischen_miliz I relate to you so strongly on this! I am literally crying tears of a happiness for you and your son as I read this Such a great day mamma!

 

[yabu]

@rgsfds It's kind of a cliche to say this whenever a hyper and somewhat naughty kid shows promise as a great runner, but the book Unbroken is really good and starts off with just such a character (before becoming a really well told war story and general life story).

 

[delta1071]

@katholischen_miliz That is awesome!! All for him to be paired up with a run buddy! They did that for my bro and it was great! He even learned social skills while running 5ks

 

[myworld19]

@katholischen_miliz YAY!!!! I work in SpEd and that was my exact thought! He is given a TOOL. So excited for him and you! Sometimes people are stuck in thinking kids need to fit in a box. Instead. Rip that box up to make something new and amazing!

My son is ADD and undiagnosed autistic. He was hyper and very difficult to understand! His first year in school was hell bc teachers couldn’t help him the way he needed. They weren’t even following his IEP (). It was a struggle and heartbreaking.
Fast forward a few years. We have moved and the school he has been at for 4 years now rocks. He went from 50/50 resource room and classroom to 100% classroom. No more anger outburst bc he now has TOOLS to help him. He knows he is cared for and how to get help when needed. Most importantly. He feels safe.