I want to thank the ….

I want to thank the donors to the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids (PIAK) scholarship program. Because of you, I see a night and day difference in my child, now in an educational environment that meets his needs. Those needs include being diagnosed with Autism and ADHD. It is hard for him to focus on tasks without reminders of those tasks. He also needs help with speech and fine motor skills like writing. Previously, he was being sent home daily due to disruptive behavior. In therapy, he didn’t have these issues, but his school would not allow myself or his therapists to assist or even observe in class, nor was he assigned a paraprofessional to keep him on track. With help from the scholarship, I was able to place him in a school where he’s now able to be in a classroom and stay focused on assigned tasks and then complete them. He even gets ahead of the class sometimes in their work, and I do not receive reports of disruptive behavior. I have had to make financial sacrifices, as all parents do for their children. It’s been tight, but we are able to manage, thanks to the PIAK scholarship. As the voice of my child, I know I must advocate for him. Each child is different in how they learn and progress. I appreciate those who understand that a parent can recognize what’s best for their child’s learning and who support programs that improve parents’ access to options.

[ Editor’s Note: As someone who spent a lot of time with the mindset that ADHD and autism were just “ quirks” that could be “ fixed” with a little tough love or whatever, I’m very glad there are organizations and programs out there like this to give help to those who need it]