 |
Annie’s Journey
By Charlie Giglio
During my recent visit to Reno, Nevada, for the annual
Learning Disabilities Association Conference, I was asked how I
became involved in this wonderful organization. With pleasure, I
spoke about our 34 year old daughter, Annie. She has taught her
mother, brother and me volumes about learning disabilities, and
her persistence in wanting to be happy and successful is worth sharing.
Against all odds, Annie met all of her challenges
head on, beginning with her often-difficult sojourn though school
systems in three different parts of New York State. Annie's journey
began at a time when there were no entitlements for consumers or
their families, no clearly defined diagnostic evaluations for this
hidden disability, and no clue about the social challenges which
face our children and adults with learning disabilities. Annie taught
us that all she wanted in life was to be just like everyone else.
We had no clue that this was going to be a lifelong
journey. We hoped with every test and prescription that Annie would
be "cured" and assume her place in a college freshman
class and meet the man of her dreams. What a shock for us to find
out that school officials did not expect Annie to achieve enough
success in high school to graduate with her class. It was assumed
that she would never have a boyfriend to ask or be asked to either
of her proms. And then there was the issue of her brother, Tom.
Tom didn't speak to Annie for months at a time because some of his
friends relentlessly made fun of his "slow" sister on
the school bus.
Don't despair, readers. Annie has some happy surprises
in store for you! Are you ready?
Halfway through high school, Annie's special ed teacher,
Marylou Clause, called to say that the school had received an outreach
grant from the Learning Disabilities Association of the Capital
Region (Wildwood Programs, Inc.). Ms. Clause informed us that two
staff would be calling us to set up a home visit to conduct a person-centered
planning for Annie. Annie was told that she could invite anyone
whom she valued in her life to help with the process. Annie was
terrified but agreed to do it. Even though Annie said very little
that evening, it was the beginning of her taking control of events
in her life which would enable her to graduate from her high school
special education classes with a general diploma--she passed all
of her competencies, thanks to the tireless efforts of Mrs. Clause
and the other teachers. Annie's senior classmates, most of whom
were bound for the Ivy League colleges and universities, voted her
the student who most exemplified the spirit of the graduating class.
Still, no boyfriend. Then, there's the issue of her
brother, Tom. When my wife, Pat and I sought counseling to help
both Annie and us adjust to her lifelong situation, Tommy refused
to come with us. We wound up speaking to an empty chair during those
counseling sessions. We hoped that someday Tom would join us in
helping Annie identify and achieve her dreams. Tom never came.
In the meantime, Annie joined Wildwood's recreation
program and was accepted into their residential apartments. She
took a job as a packer in a nearby supermarket. One day Annie told
me that she wanted to do more challenging things with her life.
Wildwood assigned her a job coach, evaluated her for employment,
and convinced one of their collaborating employers to give Annie
a chance as a clerk in the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles'
Office (DMV). Annie was too terrified to speak during her interview
but the DMV had confidence in the Wildwood recommendation and hired
Annie with a probationary time period. On March 31st of this year,
Annie will celebrate her eleventh anniversary with DMV. Her supervisors
have told me that they love Annie's smile each morning, her work
ethic, and her willingness to learn new things.
About four years' ago, completely out of the blue,
Annie announced that three months previously she had "met someone"
during a Wildwood recreation boat ride. She would like us to meet
her new friend, Matt. Now it was our turn to be frightened. How
could Annie keep this secret from us? Did she know what she was
doing? Was Matt the right guy for her? Well, we finally met Matt
and, ultimately, his wonderful family. Prince charming had indeed
arrived and swept our Annie off her feet. After four years of courtship,
support from Wildwood, both families, and our parish priests, Annie
and Matt were married on June 26, 2004. On their wedding day, Father
Jack told the packed church that Annie and Matt were the happiest
and most uncomplicated couple he had ever met in all of his years
as a priest.
And Annie's brother, Tom? O yeah, I forgot to tell
you: inspired by his sister's struggles, tenacity and successes,
he became a special education teacher. He tells everyone about his
sister, Annie, and how she influenced him to embrace the noblest
profession of all. |
|
