RE: Digest Number 4068

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Welcome to our group! I identify so strongly with what you said about the

pain of sitting on the sidelines watching your son irritate the entire

soccer team and the coach with his unusual behavior, but even though he

enjoys playing, I don't think that just letting him go on with his

idiosyncratic behaviors and hoping that others will tolerate them will

really help him to be accepted. He is very young to understand this, but

perhaps you could get it across to him that this might not be the right team

for him. In Northern Virginia there are special sports teams (Challenger

Baseball, and I think also special soccer teams) for kids with disabilities.

The coaches are specially trained to work with these kids, and people in the

teams and on the sidelines would be much more tolerant of unusual behaviors

than your son's current team, coach and observers.

I think he will always be " different, " and will probably be teased or at

least commented on by the team members of any typical soccer team, unless

the coach undertakes to sit the team down and talk with them about what your

son's disability means and why he can't control certain behaviors, and also

what they can do to help him " fit in. " But I'm not sure you would really be

doing your son a favor by keeping him on this team. It might make more

sense to enroll him in a sports program that emphasizes individual rather

than team achievement -- say, swimming or karate lessons -- or a sport that

is played by just two people, such as ping pong or badminton. My son has

never done well at team sports, probably because, as his physical therapist

once explained to me, he can't concentrate all at once on the physical

actions required by the game, such as kicking or throwing a ball; the social

aspects, such as recognizing his teammates and not confusing them with

members of the other team; and the spatial aspects, such as where the ball

is at every point in the game. Team sports are really too complicated for

kids who have trouble with figuring out the social rules and the spatial

relationships involved. I was very surprised to hear that in middle school,

before he moved from regular PE to an adaptive PE class, my son did quite

well in badminton. But I don't think football would have been a safe sport

for him.

I'm not trying to discourage you from trying to instill a love of sports in

your son, just suggesting that you might experience less pain if he were to

get involved in sports that are more suited to his abilities.

Good luck!

Jill

[Guest guest]

,

Thank you so much for sharing this article. I work as a Nanny for 2 Israeli

toddlers and it's very difficult to persuade their mothers of many of the

WAPF principles. I'm sure this will convince them of the dangers of soy at

least! I've just forwarded this to them.

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Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 15:47:27 -0500

From: Siemens <mandamom2many@...>

Subject: Interesting article: Israeli health minister warns against the

dangers of eating soy!

http://www.urbanhomemaker.com/articles/index.php?page=index_v2 & id=391 & c=root

--

Mrs. () Siemens

[Guest guest]

You're most welcome ) I hope it helps!

On 12/10/05, Riki Juster <therikster@...> wrote:

>

>

> ,

>

> Thank you so much for sharing this article. I work as a Nanny for 2

> Israeli

> toddlers and it's very difficult to persuade their mothers of many of the

> WAPF principles. I'm sure this will convince them of the dangers of soy at

> least! I've just forwarded this to them.

--

Mrs. () Siemens

Mommy to Zack and Liddy...so far

no fear, only faith; no guilt, only grace; no pride, only praise; no claim,

only Christ