My Baby Has Left School!

I can't believe this day has come! Jamie left school today. He had his leaver's prom last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. He has matured so much over the last few years. I can't believe how grown up he is. I still remember the tiny, vulnerable boy he was when he first started school. At the time we had no idea what he would achieve. We had no idea whether he would ever be able to talk, walk, run and play like other children.

As he grew each new milestone was a wonderful achievement for us all. The day he walked without his walker, the day he put two words together, the day he used his first Makaton sign were all special, red letter days. He worked so hard to achieve what comes naturally to others.

Since he's been at St Hugh's Special Needs Senior School he has blossomed from a little boy into a young man. His speech has got better and better and he can now say a sentence of four words that is understandable. I know he'll never have the life boys of his age should but he has still achieved more in his 16 years than some do in a lifetime.

We attended his leaver's ceremony today. Watching my boy walk up to the stage to accept his Record of Achievement brought tears to my eyes. To see him laughing with his headmaster and saying thank you to his teacher made me want to jump up and cheer.

Now he starts on a new phase in his life. He's going to college in September, for two years, on a Life and Vocational Studies course. He'll be taught independence skills. He will never achieve total independance but hopefully one day he will be able to do simple things for himself.

I know he will never live independantly from us but my special boy will continue to spread his wings and one of these days he will soar higher than any of us ever thought possible. You just wait!