we were in the middle of a due process hearing.

it’s been a long and often challenging year for our family.  though i think we’ve become stronger and more united because of it.

For some unexplained reason I’m spending my free time reading the hearing transcript…on one hand the whole process of reliving the hearing through the written word feels like a self-imposed punishment and yet on the other hand it’s like a rare treat that gets me giddy with excitement.

********

This weekend I met a perfect stranger who knew about the case and even brought it up to a group of people without knowing that I was in the audience.  When he found out that I was sitting among the individuals with whom he was talking his first words were “Oh Hi. How’s Owen?”  He knew all about the case because he’s read this blog and the documents I have posted.  He didn’t want to know about how the case was going.  He wanted to know how Owen was doing.  Yes, Owen – that little boy, my little boy.

This brief exchange about Owen made me realize that I don’t actually write much about him. I’m not sure why i don’t but would surmise that it has something to do with the difficulty I find in capturing him with words. (I have the same problem when trying to write about my daughter.) I’m going to make a concerted effort to write more about Owen from now on…try to give you a better sense of who he is and what we are all about.  For now, I’ll tell you that he is doing really well and everything is on track for him to enter into a mainstream kindergarten class with the rest of his peers. We face our challenging days when I would give anything not to have a child with autism and we have our delightful days when I almost forget that I have a child with autism.  I have a love-hate relationship with a lot of things, autism is one of them, Owen is not.  There is only love for that little boy, perfect the way he is.

**********

back to the transcripts.  it’s almost my turn to take the stand.

Advertisement