Through this journey, I have been given patience, understanding, and unconditional love. It is not that I have taught these qualities to you, but rather, you have been my greatest teacher, showing me the true meaning of resilience, self-awareness, and joy. You have them in abundance.

Keep getting to know your child. Your child is going to go to school for 6 hours a day, approximately 180 days each year, and hearing a smidgen of information about any of those hours, on any of those days, is like pulling teeth. However, hearing your child's perspective of the lessons, activities, and events from their day gives you incredible insight into how they are doing, where they are challenged, and where they are finding their joy in learning.

For parents and children, communication is the cornerstone of our relationship, cultivating understanding, empathy, and love. As Dr. John Gabrieli, Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has discovered, “It’s almost magical how parental conversation appears to influence the biological growth of the brain.”

It is through hope that we find the strength to advocate for our child, seek the right interventions, and never give up on their potential. As Dr. Shane Lopez says best, “Hope is an equal opportunity resource.”