Square peg in a round hole.

As many of you know Mark has had a few school related issues this year. He started out in kindergarten, but due to his developmental delay issues he qualified for special education and was sent to a special kindergarten. He has thrived this year in his class. The class was small, only 12 kids, and all had issues similar to Mark.

Although I could see his academic progress, his fine motor skills, and processing issues were making very SLOW improvements. Its been a source of frustration for me. Never having had a kids with these types of issues, and never expecting to have a kid with these types of issues, I really have not known what to do, yet knowing I needed to do something.

My first instinct was to just practice with him over and over until he gets it. Problem: he doesn't get it. There is some sort of disconnect between what he sees and how he writes. He becomes easily frustrated and so do I. Result: I haven't practiced nearly as much as I thought I should and felt extremely guilty. I felt like I was spinning my wheels, and trying to push a square peg into a round hole.

I just assumed since he had not made a lot of progress on the fine motor skill issue that a repeat of kindergarten would be in order. I had mixed emotions on that issue. I want Mark to be successful in school, and Mark is clearly aware that when it comes to his fine motor skills he can't do what his peers can do. But at the same time, he is now reading, and I was concerned that another year of kindergarten would bore him.

In a recent meeting with his teacher, the director of the school that Mark attends, and the occupational therapist for the school district, enlightenment occurred. Mark tested academically on par with his peers, and his teacher felt he needed to advance to first grade. I have to say I was stunned. I asked about his fine motor skill issues. They concluded another year of kindergarten would not significantly improve Mark's fine motor skill issues, and that this is a learning issue he will always have.

Their suggestion was rather than try to make Mark do what his peers are doing in terms of fine motor skills, he needs to be accommodated in a way that he can function and feel successful. The answer, a computer. In reality, yes Mark needs to write, and over the years he will develop enough skill level to be able to write, but he will never be winning any penmanship awards. But in the mean time he should do his work on a computer. BELLS, LIGHTS AND WHISTLES, went off in my head. Truth be told I had wondered about this myself. During the last year Mark has learned to use the computer well, which has cause me to wonder if in our computer driven society, which will be even more so for Mark's generation, why can't he use a computer? Well apparently he can.

It is going to be part of his Individual Education Plan that he be allowed to use a computer in place of writing. Rather than expect him to sit down in his writing journal and whip up a story, he can sit at the computer and work on a story.

For the first time in a year I don't feel dazed and confused regarding Mark's learning issues. I feel empowered, I feel in control. I feel like there is a solution that will help Mark continue to learn and be successful, and it is a solution I can embrace. That is not to say it will not be an uphill battle, but for once the battle will not be with Mark, it will be with his first grade teacher, and in getting her to understand and accept that Mark will be cruising to school every day with his ipad in tow, and that is where much of his learning is going to occur.

Square pegs, just don't fit in round holes, unless you expand the hole!