This unexpected time has offered us many things: change, anxiety, lack of time, hope, knowledge, learning, confusion, information, and room to grow (feel free to insert other things in the comments- this is just a short list).
 
One of the things that I appreciate is that it is offering me an opportunity to get to know how my kids learn better.  The truth is- no matter how much I knew before, (and if you have read my Author Bio you know I am a collector of facts so I have years of tidbits to how to support those who struggle to learn) seeing the day’s ins and outs, at the level I am seeing them as the days transition into each other is offering me insight on a level I never could have seen before.  Now I can see, first-hand, how each of my kids responds differently to Language Arts vs Math, how they can or cannot self- monitor, what motivates them to be able to do just a little bit more, how they respond to expectations for independence, and what support they need to achieve higher levels than the day before.
 
There are many out there that say we will never have this time again (let’s go with that) but having had it, I am changed.  The way I think about what my kids are able to do has forever changed on so many levels but what stands out the most is adaptability.  I have learned that each of us is more adaptable than we ever thought possible because we have faced that which we could not have imagined. 
 
Whether or not things go back to the way before, or maybe a better version with pieces of both, I hope you take those insights with you- that you use them to better understand what supports your child needs from those that are just nice to have, and that you are able to find ways to ensure those abilities are honored and those supports are received.  Wishing you all the best.- K

I don’t know about you but it seems as if the number of days that go by where it feels like a lot of energy is going out but not a lot is coming back to replenish it.  At least, in big way.  But- in looking deeper- the opportunities are there- they just might be a little more difficult to see. 
 
Because inspiration can come from anything, really.  And the smaller we look, the more we can find.  Of course, it would be great to have those inspiring moments be loud and large so that we couldn’t help but notice them.  But life- especially life with people with working memory challenges doesn’t always work that way. 
 
So it won’t always be a 17-year old who is learning to read for the first time, or a 15- year old who is being given to a communication system that is unlocking all that he has to say.  But it could be.  And if you need some of those big shining moments to get you through just know that both of those are true, and have happened with people I know, in the very recent past.  If you need more of these brightly shining moments then reach out, and I will share as many stories as you need.
 
But if not- if a smaller moment of beauty is enough to light you from a darker place then take those, my friends, and hold on tightly to every opportunity to be inspired that comes your way.  For as bright as the big stories of release of ability through first opportunity are, there is also nothing more beautiful that our kids looking up at us and smiling bright….a contagious belly laugh that makes your sides hurt…the sprout of a random plant when you have no idea how it got there….the sun streaming through the clouds… or a look between those who are connected over a random idea that might just change the path forward. 
 
So hold tight- to those large stories, yes, but also to those smaller moments of beauty- those opportunities to connect with another person in a new or favorite way, and share them all to remind ourselves, and each other, of the inspiration that can be found all around us.