A blessing and a curse  (Unfinished)

       Every parent has sat and wondered about their child. What will they look like? What dreams will they have? How is their future going to turn out? Every parent hopes for the best when it comes to the outcome of their children’s lives. Imagine everything gets ten times better once you hear the fortunate news that your child is ahead. He/she is so advanced for their age. They have the ability to read, count, and learn quicker than any of the other children. Your child is gifted and talented. People are patting you on the back left and right to congratulate you. They’re helping you praise your child’s extraordinary skill. This is the present you received from God, nature, and fortune. Now imagine you find out the opposite news. Your child is behind for their age. Your child is not paying attention. He/she is not able to sit still. He/she does not give anyone eye contact. He/she is a disruption to the class. Your child is labeled as learning disabled. Now all the horrifying thoughts rush through your mind. Many questions enter your mind, one after the next. How will they succeed? What kind of services will they need? Will they ever outgrow this? How will this affect their future? Will there be negative connotations associated with my child? Will this take a toll on their self esteem? What did I do wrong for this to happen?  What are they implying about my child? A parent to a child who is advanced is blessed, while a parent to a child who is learning “disabled” is cursed. In the eyes of the world, being mapped on the spectrum on special education can be a blessing or a curse.
A gifted child is motivated. Someone who doesn’t understand is called lazy. A child who is gifted is so well behaved. Someone who has trouble focusing is a problem child. The gifted child is expected to go to Harvard, Yale, or anything Ivy League or close to the title. A child with an IEP is lucky if they graduate high school on time. In reality, a child who is “learning disabled” just learns differently. In reality, those children do catch up to the rest. They are not necessarily slower learners. They are able to function in life, just as much as the next person. They are perfectly capable of achieving at the same rate as their peers.