000000_HanksBook_CopyrightUpdated_091118_FB

Keaton. They had decided on a pre-school child care facility near their home. Everyone who had dealt with the school spoke well of it. Keaton and his parents visited and were satisfied with the environment; Keaton was enrolled. This became a turning point in our lives. After a few days, the teacher/owner, Miss Amy, telephoned Pam at home. She told Pam that she believed if Keaton did not receive professional intervention he would not be prepared to begin public school kindergarten the following year. She described him as bright, able to answer questions during circle time, but not really showing signs of interacting with the other four year olds in the class. On the playground he would sit on the swing, repeating phrases to himself or stand alone, far from others. Shortly after this conversation with the teacher, Miss Amy, Pam called me. She sounded upset and frightened. I listened carefully to her not all that surprised. After offering her words of reassurance and comfort, I told her that Mark and I had felt for some time that Keaton might need help beyond what we could offer him. An anxious mother then began her course of action toward Keaton’s needs, which still continues today. She and Mark address what seems to be the most urgent requirement to help Keaton grow and develop to his full potential. How fortunate he is to have Mark and Pam as his parents. Pam made an immediate appointment with Keaton’s pediatrician. There she explained what the teacher had said regarding Keaton’s behavior and the teacher’s belief that he needed professional intervention. The

- 13 -

Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker