Helen Keller- or why special kids need boundaries too!

Helen Adams Keller was an author, a political activist and a well known lecturer. She was also the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

When she was only 19 months old she became ill with what is now known as scarlet fever, an illness that left her both deaf and blind. The people surrounding her could not understand her wishes and needs, and she had terrible anger fits –yelling, screaming and hurting herself and others. She became a very spoilt girl. Her parents gave her all she demanded in order to keep her calm.

In1887 her parents decided to send her away to a private tutor named Anne Salivan. Salivan then isolated her from her family and taught her to communicate through feeling her face when talking. She also taught her how to read and write both braille and the regular ABC.

When she turned 13 Helen could already read English, German, French, Greek and Latin. She learned to speak by touching other people's lips when they spoke and imitated them.

At the age of 24 she finished College with excellence.

Now let me adk you a qestion- if her parents kept pampering her, not pushing her to her limits- not making her try? would she have made it? probably not...

I don't know about you other mums out there but the hardest thing for me as his mum is letting go..."making him deal" All I really want is to hug him and hold him and to protect him from the rest of the life for as long as I can.

But I also know I won't be doing him or me a favour. I need to let him cope. deal. even fight. And stay in the shadows to keep watch as he proceeds.

He is so smart! He is so friendly! He is full of love and compassion and can be a great person!

I just have to let him be, and keep raising him as a regular child with coundaries and rules- knowing I am doing my best and keeping on pushing him forward....