Whatever It Takes

Feb 25, 2024 | by The Fellowship

While my grandson, CG, was in preschool, my daughter moved in with us because her husband had been physically and verbally abusing her. They lived in another state, and she never shared any of this with us!

CG seemed to do well in preschool until he was four when he began separating himself during classroom activities. When I visited for Grandparent’s Day, the class sat on the rug singing while CG went to the book center. The teacher took his hand and led him back to the group, a common occurrence.

Getting him to preschool was difficult -- he would take his shirt off after I put it on him. We finally realized that he hated tags. Today, he cuts all tags out of his clothing.

For 1st grade, my daughter found a small private school for CG. The first week was a nightmare! Hours of homework were assigned the first day. The spelling words were 3rd grade level. Having taught second grade for years, I was in shock at what was expected. There was no way CG could write 15 words three times and a sentence for each word. That was just one subject. The homework took three hours.

CG has always had great difficulty with handwriting. We later discovered that he has Dysgraphia, a writing disorder. He still uses capital letters in the middle of words. The wires in his brain do not connect to his fingers.

CG lasted one week in private school. On Friday, the principal called my daughter and said he could not attend that school any longer.

I knew God had a plan for CG and kept praying for guidance. My daughter found a psychologist to test CG. The results showed Autism, ADHD and a Speech Impairment. The psychologist recommended public school with Special Education services.

We prayed that the Lord would lead my daughter to the right school for accommodating CG’s needs. She was like Father Abraham, going on a journey and not knowing where. Having been told Spring Branch ISD was excellent, she visited two elementary schools in that district. A secretary told her about a cluster of townhouses that fed into their elementary school. Since she had her real estate license, my daughter was able to find one of those townhouses to lease.

God gets the glory on the day we visited the school. The staff immediately accepted CG’s assessment and introduced us to his new first grade teacher. She was so welcoming! I knew God had us where He wanted as peace filled my heart. The staff met with us and wrote an educational plan for CG.

The years in that elementary school were a blessing. CG was able to visit the resource room for extra help when needed. The school went above and beyond loving CG. He even participated in the 5th grade Talent Show by performing “Beat Boxing.” All the kids were cheering. What a great feeling and glory to God for that day. He was a happy 5th grader.

From the time he was four, CG attended Sunday School every week. He seemed to do well, and no one complained. In 5th grade, a substitute Sunday School teacher handed him a pencil and paper with instructions to fill in the blanks. Not able to write, CG ran from the room. Security had to search for him. They found him hiding in the bathroom. After that, CG would not go to Sunday School. That broke my heart -- I want my grandson to know and love Jesus.

Entering junior high was a terrible experience for CG. We had visited the school to meet his 6th grade teachers and walked the halls so he could find his classes. After the first week, CG felt overwhelmed and started showing signs of depression. One morning, he did not get on the bus and a neighbor called my daughter. CG was sitting on the sidewalk alone by their townhouse. Another day he did not get off the bus. My daughter drove to school and a search began. He was in the bathroom. I continued to seek God for wisdom. Something was not right.

During the third week of classes, CG tried to hang himself on the shower curtain in PE. The coach saw him and said, “Not today.” My daughter was referred to a psychiatrist who started him on Prozac for depression and said to keep him home until he could be stabilized.

CG stayed home the month of September. I cried out to the Lord again, asking for His wisdom as I knew CG could not return to middle school. He was mentally not in a safe place. God put it on my heart to start homeschooling. 

Homeschooling is not easy for a child with Autism and ADHD. He usually stands up instead of sitting. His attention is very short. Every morning when I meet the Lord in my quiet time, I ask Him to go before me and help me. All glory to God for bringing us this far.

God has prepared me for this job through many years of teaching and Special Education. Our Lord has a plan for CG, and I feel excited to be part of His plan. Who would have ever thought that I would be teaching again in my mid-seventies!

UPDATE: A few days ago, an advertisement came on my cell phone. It was "i code".  I have never heard of i code, but it showed small groups of kids learning how to code on computers. It is an introduction to digital design and programming.  I decided to look into it as it was not that far of a drive.  I took CG today to be introduced into coding.  He absolutely loved it!  I signed him up for every Tuesday afternoon - and there will be only four kids in his class with one teacher.

I know God brought my attention to this company.  I have been praying that we can find activities for CG with other kids.  God is so good!  I know He has great plans for CG. God gets all the glory!

I sought the LORD and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4