Rachel kicked a goal!!

Today was the last day of soccer and my baby girl kicked a goal!!  She was so stinkin proud of herself.  The coach went and gave her a big hug.  She was all proud.  It was too cute.  She has came so far this year with soccer and it has been so good for her. 

Her fragile X makes her really timid and shy.  This was her first year in soccer.  She asked to play.  When she started she would never take the ball away from the opponent.  She would kick it just a little ways.  But she has really gotten agressive.  She now gets in there a little bit more and gets the ball from others.  She can kick the ball over peoples heads.  And she makes goals!!

Schools Alert for Conditions

I found this news article from a Wisconsin newspaper.  I liked the topic because it shows that schools are starting to become my sympathetic to each child instead of clumping them together and expecting them to be and act the same.  The only issue I had with it was that the nurse suggested a medical alert bracelet or something similar to show that the child has a disability.  That would be great for a lot of different disabilities but children with fragile X, autism, etc. would not be able to handle jewelry touching them.  Short of a there is not much of a way to let folks know that the child has a problem.  And the tattoo would definitely be out…needles!!    

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Posted April 28, 2007

Schools alert for conditions By Adam Rodewald Marshfield News-Herald

Mariah Frahmann knows what it’s like to be judged.She’s a 12-year-old who struggles with Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic disorder with autistic-like symptoms.Her physical appearance is normal, but at times her behavior may appear like drunkenness or unnecessary aggression, said Mariah’s mother, Brenda Frahmann. “Then you have people looking at you like, ‘What’s wrong with your kid?’ And you can say she has Fragile X, but they don’t know what that is,” Frahmann said. “This society is so quick to judge that you’re bad parents or your kid is really naughty, but they don’t really know what is wrong.”These problems only escalate in schools where the majority of people have little or no experience with recognizing and responding to these health concerns.“It’s certainly something we know is a problem … so one thing we do is try to work with parents as well as staff,” said Marshfield School Distric Superintendent Bruce King.Since only two part-time nurses serve the entire district, schools rely on parents to clearly communicate any health conditions their child may have and how to treat them, said district nurse Judy Akin.

These conditions can range from rare, like Fragile X, to more common, such as diabetes or allergies, Akin said.

“It’s critical for us to know if their child has a condition that warrants immediate response,” she said. “There’s an entire team of people at school who need to know.”

Akin works with parents and their children’s physicians to write specific guidelines, called a Health Alert, for teachers and other staff to appropriately handle that child’s health needs.

Akin also recommends children wear medical alert bracelets or another type of identification.

Frahmann, who also has a 10-year-old diabetic son, said this system in the schools works effectively.

“It’s my responsibility to tell them,” she said. “And they are quick to respond and try to fix it.”

Teachers also attend regular in-service training on topics specific to risk factors, said King.