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To: Richard Kimball

My daughter is special needs. She's only 10, but I'm already looking at college options for her. She's great at math, and way ahead in math. I'm good at math, and I know she'll have no problem with upper level math. She's already wanting to learn algebra, and I think she's ready for pre-algebra.

Her worst problem is speech problems from brain damage. Because of the speech problems, she has difficulty with writing, and her reading is slow and tedious.

I personally think she'd make a great accountant or a statistician because she loves numbers (and she likes money).

However, she will need to pass language arts classes in college. I keep on thinking that a junior college will be a good way for her to go. She could live at home and take the language arts classes. I can help her if she needs it, her speech therapist could help her, or other tutors could help her. After she passes those classes, she'll be ready for her major.

Plus, junior colleges tend to have smaller classes than a regular college. They also have lots of night classes which would be a good thing for my daughter in that she is a night owl.


25 posted on 03/14/2007 3:54:19 AM PDT by luckystarmom
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To: luckystarmom
Just a couple of thoughts. American sign language qualifies as a foreign language skill and wouldn't be a bad skill for her to pick up. I have one daughter with CP and one with Tuberous Sclerosis. The one with CP teaches math at the same college where I run a fire academy. Funny thing is, she was awful at math when she was ten. Because she struggled with math so much, she became very good at understanding why others were making mistakes. She teaches a lot of remedial math, and the students with learning problems identify with her, because she's much more approachable than the average teacher. She's also got acres of patience, because it took her so long to reach a lot of landmarks that other kids reach easily.

The funny thing is, many times our weaknesses become our strengths.

The two biggest things for me with my daughters was to understand that they weren't going to hit landmarks at the same pace as other kids, and that we couldn't ever let them give up and feel sorry for themselves. We threw out the time table and said, "are they doing better today than they were last year?" Saved us a lot of insanity, and I think, saved the girls from ulcers, without letting them fall into the "poor, poor pitiful me" trap. Looking at my post, it sounds way too easy. Lots of tears and prayers greased the wheels and I screwed up more than any parent has a right to. My wife home schooled the youngest one to keep her from getting pigeonholed in a special learning class. Our daughters both worked hard, hard, hard, and have made raising them a joy. Stay in touch, and let me know how your daughter is doing.

43 posted on 03/14/2007 7:49:41 AM PDT by Richard Kimball (Why yes, I do have a stupid picture for any occasion)
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