Surprise post for J - Thirteen years old!

Hey J, you're thirteen now. Wow - where's the time gone. Technically you turned 13 last month - but I didn't get around to blogging about it. You moaned at me throughout June about why I hadn't written any new blogposts for such a long time. I think you're our best and most loyal blog reader!

So here's a surprise one for you. To say a belated Happy Birthday and to tell you how proud we are of you.

Lately it seems that every day you give us another reason to be proud of you...your school report was amazing. So were your exam grades. Then there was the letter we received home from school...

"It is with great pleasure that I am writing to congratulate J on another most successful learning report. Throughout the year to date he has consistently striven to attain the highest standards as a result of an extremely positive approach to his studies..."

Your Head of Year wrote on your school report:
"J has had an exceptional year and this report reflects that. His effort scores and exam rankings fall in the top ten for the year group, which is all down to J's attitude and work ethic. A clean behaviour record is also very pleasing to see. Well done J." 

Each of your teachers wrote wonderful things about you and they gushed about you at parents evening too.

I think it's fair to say that 7 or 8 years ago, no-one could have predicted this. I hope it's a lesson to all teachers out there who are dealing with a 'difficult' ASD child to look beyond what they want to see and to see the potential.

Just think what you would have done for the results rankings of your initial primary schools if they'd truly given you a chance. It turns out it was them that missed out.

We always saw your academic potential - it became more and more apparent that it wasn't normal for a 4 year old to automatically know a whole load of times tables. It wasn't normal for a child to do a whole loads of maths sums in their heads at such a young age. It isn't usual for kids to 'just know' how to spell words correctly or understand the often strange grammatical rules of the English language. But you just did.

That's because you're not normal. You're amazing in every way.

Even if the outstanding grades stopped happening. Even if your school reports weren't so glowing. We'd still be proud of you.

There will always be people out there that don't understand you. That don't 'get' what it's like living with ASD. I can't pretend that I always get it either.

But we want you to always know and remember how proud we are of you - for being you. Not for your grades or academic achievements but just for being J.

Uncle Bob sent me these photos recently so I thought you might like to see them.

And here's a few pics from your birthday cake. You asked for a Peanut ButterJelephant cake (turns out I spelled the 'jelly' bit wrong!). And yes you are still into Rodeo Stampede as well as lots of other gaming apps and games on the Wii U and DS. I dread to think what cake you will ask for next!

In the past you've had Sweeny Blob from Moshi monsters - requested at the eleventh hour I seem to remember! Moshling cupcakes when you were 10. Two cakes when you turned 11 - a splatoon cake and a Tomodachi life themed one!!! I can't find any trace of cake for your 12th birthday - perhaps you let me have a year off. Your memory is incredible so you might remember if there was cake. Perhaps grandad brought round some cupcakes?

So what will it be next year?

Anyway Happy Birthday!