Accomplishments & ACC

Three years ago when I started homeschooling my
child, Matthew, who has Agenesis of the Corpus
Callosum, I decided to keep a written documentation
of homeschool progress notes. Each month I make
note of all the days that Matthew learned something
new or accomplished a task or goal...big or small.

Honestly, I am not the most efficient or
steadfast recordkeeper but I can tell you that
when I look back over the past three years of
homeschooling progress notes it makes a world of
difference when your child's progress is staring
you right in the face in writing...one glorious
page of efforts and accomplishments after another.

Matthew is 16 years old, however, developmentally
he is much younger and he is nowhere close to his
actual grade level. In fact, much of Matthew's
progress both developmentally and educationally
(especially when he was really young) seem to move
at the pace of a snail at times and sometimes that
slow pace comes to a screaching halt with a very
long plateau of what seems like no progress or
very little.

But when you actually keep a record of each and
every little thing that you see your child learning
and doing and then are able to refer back to it
over the course of a year, it is amazing to see
all of the very beautiful and wonderful things
that your child learned and can do.

I'm glad that I decided to keep a record of
Matthew's accomplishments.

On those days when you feel like your child is
behind or you get caught up in the 'feel like
they aren't making much progress blues' it is a
blessing and eye opening experience to pull out
that document listing all their progress and remind
yourself of the abundance of learning and goals
that your child accomplished.

As you ring in the New Year take the time to
reflect on all of the fantastic things that
your own child who has ACC learned and can do
and keep your focus on each and every small
accomplishment that they will continue to make
in 2010!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!