Word of the Week: Flourish

I've seen this linky popping up on everyone's blogs each week for a while now and have been meaning to join in but somehow never seem to find the time! Even after a reminder tweet to me last week from The Reading Residence, I still didn't get around to it (naughty me - slapped wrists!)

So this week, I thought I really must do it. It's simple enough - pick a word, just one word, that describes your week. Easy. Or so I thought. It actually wasn't so easy but when J came home from school today and I read his contact book it said:

"J is continuing to flourish" and as I read that sentence, I knew that was it, that was the word...'flourish'.

Regular readers will know that J returned to school after a 3 year break to be home-school due to his ASD difficulties. His track record at school before that was not good. Schools that were clueless about how to help him and him reacting badly to school as a result.

Frustratingly, academically he has amazing potential but none of that was being acheived hence home-schooling instead.

So when he went back into the education system last month, I held my breath (figuratively speaking). Would he cope? Would he have meltdowns? Would the stress and anxiety return? Would his school work suffer? Would he become that unhappy child that we removed from school 3 years ago and slowly worked to build up his self-confidence and self-esteem.

But today I read that he is 'continuing to flourish'. Phew - I can breathe again. I know his education (as in all areas of his life) will have ups and downs because of his difficulties but for now he is doing well.

Interestingly the dictionary definition of Flourish says:

flourish

ˈflʌrɪʃ/

verb

1. 1.

   (of a living organism) grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly congenial environment.

   "wild plants flourish on the banks of the lake"

   synonyms:

   grow, thrive, prosper, grow/do well, develop, burgeon, increase,multiply, proliferate;

What I noticed when I read that description was the mention of the 'particularly congenial environment' and the school he is at right now is just that for him. It is the right environment of care and support that he needs. Together with the knowledge and expertise they have in dealing with ASD children, it has meant that not only has he coped but he has flourished.