My son’s kindergarten teacher used to send home daily notes along the lines of:

“He won’t listen.”

“Keeps talking out of turn.”

“Doesn’t focus on work.”

“Had to isolate him from the rest of the class.”

To the point that he screamed he hated school, wouldn’t go back, couldn’t go back, that he was a bad boy.

The kindergarten teacher refused to have him evaluated for services. When I escalated it to the principle, he also refused.

This year, his charter school teacher, who only sees him twice a week, noticed gaps, and had him evaluated. He was diagnosed with ADHD, auditory processing disorder, speech deficits, and is still being evaluated for possible autism.

He finally got an IEP.

This year, he started art classes once a week. I wrote in the “What should we know about your child” section that he may need help focusing and listening.

After his first day, the art teacher said she couldn’t believe it was his first time doing art. That he was focused the entire time.

Today, we had our last parent-teacher conference with his charter school teacher. She said he was a joy to have in the class. She loved his blunt honesty, his enthusiasm and how helpful he was to the class. She said she could tell how hard he tries to do well.

I’m glad we didn’t stay at that school that couldn’t recognise my son’s unique gifts—his kindness, his generosity, his open-hearted affection—and who saw only his deficits.

And I wish we could all see the uniqueness in those who are just a little bit different.