Author: Patty

ADHD and Home Education — What Can That Look Like? A compassionate look at movement, learning, medication, and the freedom some families discover through homeschooling. Some years ago, we had a neighbor family (the Browns — a pseudonym) who became kindred spirits to us. Their only son, Dustin, and our only daughter spent countless hours […]

Two young women face the challenges of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 with courage, compassion, and quiet resilience. Real-life stories of two young women living with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1). Discover their struggles, strengths, and what makes them unforgettable. What Is NF1? Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is a relatively rare genetic condition that causes tumors to grow […]

What happens when a thriving six-year-old suddenly stops speaking—and no medical explanation can be found? Years ago, I worked with a homeschooling family I came to care about deeply: the Roberts family. They had chosen to home educate their daughters from the very beginning, creating a home filled with warmth, structure, and intentionality. I first […]

Navigating Learning, health, and complex reality challenges with grace! I have worked with some truly remarkable women. I’ve mentioned a few of them in past blogs, but this feels like the right moment to pause and honor them more intentionally. Almost without exception, it is the mother in the family who recognizes when something isn’t […]

Outside set of eyes is sometimes essential to see… There was a friend I worked with for a number of years, and I watched her children from a distance. Her older daughter was clearly bright—like both of her parents—and socially gifted. She lit up every room. The girls in her class competed to be her […]

A First Impression That Stays With You One of the most delightful students I ever worked with was a little boy I’ll call Abernathy. I was 16, volunteering in a preschool classroom, and Abernathy quickly became unforgettable. He had been born with Down Syndrome and was expected to have significant developmental delays. And in some […]

Accidents—or God-Directed Happenings? During the “shutdown,” I was teaching online for a public school. My students were high school-aged, but their developmental levels ranged from infancy to about age six. As November approached, I worked hard to plan something meaningful for Thanksgiving. I didn’t want the lesson to be religious, but I also didn’t want […]

Warning – the timing of my leaving the community this represents leaves this story without a happy ending. I trust in God that there is one by now, but the family would not know how to find me to tell me about how God redeemed this – Reggie, meaning counsel, a fourth grade student, had […]

I met Logan when he was in high school. I didn’t get to know him deeply, but even in a short time, he and his mother left a lasting impression on me. Logan lived in a Portland suburb with his close-knit family. He had been identified as both bright and learning disabled when he was […]

(All names are pseudonyms) I began my relationship with Kimaya’s family nearly ten years before she was born. Her mother, Wendy, and I became friends through a mutual connection, and we quickly discovered how much we had in common. Over the years, we supported one another through many life transitions. I was there as Wendy […]