Autism isn't something we knew much about. When Roger Ethan was diagnosed, if I'm being honest it was a while before it became "official", I hit the books, the researches, the Dr's, the millions of web sites and support groups, and that was within the first week! I found how amazing their brains are! There is so much in there, but it's like piecing a puzzle together figuring out how to help them express what all the know, need and want. Sadly, many teachers are faced with all of these rules, and agendas they need to follow. The ones making all the rules for teachers to follow expect every student to fall into this cookie cutter learning process, and if you don't fit in their idea of how things should work, you are left behind. Parents and teachers both feeling helpless against the system. Leading us to Peer Academy. I was blessed enough to meet this other amazing autism mama who had this vision to start a new school, one that is made especially for kids like ours, these beautiful minds who think and learn outside the cookie cutter. And guess what? We now have Knoxville's only non profit school for children with autism. For that we are all so thankful. With the support of friends and family, we look forward to growing.
