His certificate was an award for 'Pupil of the Year'!
As I congratulated him, with high praise, he looked at his photo on the certificate, and walked off, nonplussed. Whilst he may not be bothered by this accolade, or perhaps he doesn't understand what it means, I was over the moon.
I am an advocate of boosting people's confidence, skills and values, and want my children to do their best, be their best, and believe in themselves and their abilities.
If J didn't have his difficulties, and attended a mainstream school, I would hope he would be just as motivated and keen to try his hardest, and work with dedication towards gaining good grades and exam results.
The gift voucher he also received can be spent in a vast range of shops, and I'm certain his choice will be a food shop, where he can browse the chocolate and biscuit aisles, and joyfully fill a basket with his selection of goodies. As he isn't able to convey to me what shop he'd choose, as his cognitive impairment limits this, I am confident in making this choice for him, due to knowing him so well, and being able to judge his likes and dislikes. He is very food motivated, and he will be in glorious confectionery heaven.
It was a wonderful end to his five years at that school, and I'm so proud that he worked hard, tried his best, and gained this acknowledgement from his teacher, support staff, and the Head Teacher, who chose him from all the other pupils.
