Misunderstood MS

One of my special ed. students has MS. He is a third grader whose mother is in rehab for substance abuse. He lives at home with his father and his step sister. The father is currently raising the daughter of his wife, a child fathered by another man. So in the home of my student are himself (a third grade student), his father and his step-older sister. The father is working full-time and trying to raise two children. My student, I'll call him Tom, has already been retained in his short life one grade and is currently failing the third grade because he has not been able to pass the standardized test mandated by the state. I mention him here because of his MS. He has changed in his emotional substance since the first of the year this year. He is now angry, and does not want to work hard at school and just is exhibiting signs of just total apathy. Another hard luck story. It is hard enough that he has to learn to manage and live with his MS. His regular home life, I am sure, has him currently entering depression which will add some form of mental illness to the equation. He is being recommended for a psy-consult. Please stay informed about the effects of MS on young children. This is another area of bias and mis-understood prejudice in America. Here is the link to a fellow blogger who has a MS blog that is worthy of visiting.

www.dj-astellarlife.blogspot.com