Ignorant Therapist

The day before yesterday, Steven said, “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that I work with someone who knows Leah’s speech therapist.”

Me- “Umm, she doesn’t have a speech therapist.”

Steven- “Well, whoever did her evaluation; she’s her daughter’s speech therapist too.” (I’m paraphrasing, of course)

Me- “How the heck does she know that she is the one who did Leah’s evaluation?! She’s not supposed to talk about her students!!!”

I told her physical therapist about it; she’s reporting the incident.

This speech therapist works for one of the most established/credible institutions in the area.

Not only that but…

Yesterday I got a copy of the evaluation in the mail and I honestly don’t know what child she was evaluating.

About 90% of everything she has Leah not doing, she does.

Great.

I’ve emailed the local support group (who was not very encouraging about the whole consulting thing) and asked them if they would be willing to help me start a satellite group which would be closer to my area. There are parents who live even further away from the meetings then we do, so I assumed it would be valid to start another group. Plus, I don't want to completely break away from them because they do have some great members and fantastic resources. I thought maybe a satellite group would be a good compromise.

No response.

So now, it seems as though I’ve upset the local Down syndrome group because I want to add to their services which apparently means I was stepping on their toes.

Because of an incidence with one of their therapists, I am about to upset one of the major therapeutic players in the local Ds community.

Nice.

Oh well, gotta do what I gotta do for my baby I guess…

…it just stinks always having to be the bad guy.

I’ve always been the one to stand up for what’s right with all of my kids.

I’ve had more then one uncomfortable conversation with teachers, had to "fire" Leah's first teacher, and even had a pretty big hand in the retiring of a principle because of inadequate results.

But I don’t wanna do it.

I don’t wanna be the one to always point out faults.

I don’t wanna be the talk of the groups because of my boldness.

I don’t wanna be the parent that teachers really love or REALLY hate.

I don’t wanna be the one who people say, “watch out for...”

I don’t wanna be known as the bad guy.

But I guess if no one else will, I must. My kids deserve the best in everything and it is my job to make sure that they get it.

I was hoping that the special needs community would be a little more compassionate, organized, and professional.

There are some, but honesty in my experience so far, about 50 percent of them are not.

I guess I can add a whole other group who has (or will have) me black-listed now.

At least my kids will have the best…

…and that makes it all worth it, right?