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Personal Profiles
Annie’s Journey
By Charlie Giglio
During my recent visit to Reno, Nevada, for the annual Learning Disabilities Association Conference, I was asked how I became involved in this wonderful organization. With pleasure, I spoke about our 34 year old daughter, Annie. She has taught her mother, brother and me volumes about learning disabilities, and her persistence in wanting to be happy and successful is worth sharing.
Against all odds, Annie met all of her challenges head on, beginning with her often-difficult sojourn though school systems in three different parts of New York State. Annie's journey began at a time when there were no entitlements for consumers or their families, no clearly defined diagnostic evaluations for this hidden disability, and no clue about the social challenges which face our children and adults with learning disabilities. Annie taught us that all she wanted in life was to be just like everyone else.
We had no clue that this was going to be a lifelong journey. We hoped with every test and prescription that Annie would be "cured" and assume her place in a college freshman class and meet the man of her dreams. What a shock for us to find out that school officials did not expect Annie to achieve enough success in high school to graduate with her class. It was assumed that she would never have a boyfriend to ask or be asked to either of her proms. And then there was the issue of her brother, Tom. Tom didn't speak to Annie for months at a time because some of his friends relentlessly made fun of his "slow" sister on the school bus.
Don't despair, readers. Annie has some happy surprises in store for you! Are you ready?
Halfway through high school, Annie's special ed teacher, Marylou Clause, called to say that the school had received an outreach grant from the Learning Disabilities Association of the Capital Region (Wildwood Programs, Inc.). Ms. Clause informed us that two staff would be calling us to set up a home visit to conduct a person-centered planning for Annie. Annie was told that she could invite anyone whom she valued in her life to help with the process. Annie was terrified but agreed to do it. Even though Annie said very little that evening, it was the beginning of her taking control of events in her life which would enable her to graduate from her high school special education classes with a general diploma--she passed all of her competencies, thanks to the tireless efforts of Mrs. Clause and the other teachers. Annie's senior classmates, most of whom were bound for the Ivy League colleges and universities, voted her the student who most exemplified the spirit of the graduating class.
Still, no boyfriend. Then, there's the issue of her brother, Tom. When my wife, Pat and I sought counseling to help both Annie and us adjust to her lifelong situation, Tommy refused to come with us. We wound up speaking to an empty chair during those counseling sessions. We hoped that someday Tom would join us in helping Annie identify and achieve her dreams. Tom never came.
In the meantime, Annie joined Wildwood's recreation program and was accepted into their residential apartments. She took a job as a packer in a nearby supermarket. One day Annie told me that she wanted to do more challenging things with her life. Wildwood assigned her a job coach, evaluated her for employment, and convinced one of their collaborating employers to give Annie a chance as a clerk in the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles' Office (DMV). Annie was too terrified to speak during her interview but the DMV had confidence in the Wildwood recommendation and hired Annie with a probationary time period. On March 31st of this year, Annie will celebrate her eleventh anniversary with DMV. Her supervisors have told me that they love Annie's smile each morning, her work ethic, and her willingness to learn new things.
About four years' ago, completely out of the blue, Annie announced that three months previously she had "met someone" during a Wildwood recreation boat ride. She would like us to meet her new friend, Matt. Now it was our turn to be frightened. How could Annie keep this secret from us? Did she know what she was doing? Was Matt the right guy for her? Well, we finally met Matt and, ultimately, his wonderful family. Prince charming had indeed arrived and swept our Annie off her feet. After four years of courtship, support from Wildwood, both families, and our parish priests, Annie and Matt were married on June 26, 2004. On their wedding day, Father Jack told the packed church that Annie and Matt were the happiest and most uncomplicated couple he had ever met in all of his years as a priest.
And Annie's brother, Tom? O yeah, I forgot to tell you: inspired by his sister's struggles, tenacity and successes, he became a special education teacher. He tells everyone about his sister, Annie, and how she influenced him to embrace the noblest profession of all.
Learning Disabilities Association of America
4156 Library Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15234-1349
Phone (412) 341-1515 Fax (412) 344-0224
www.LDAAmerica.org
© 2004 LDA of America