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Keaton. They had decided on a pre-school child care
facility near their home. Everyone who had dealt with
the school spoke well of it. Keaton and his parents
visited and were satisfied with the environment;
Keaton was enrolled.
This became a turning point in our lives. After a few
days, the teacher/owner, Miss Amy, telephoned Pam
at home. She told Pam that she believed if Keaton
did not receive professional intervention he would
not be prepared to begin public school kindergarten
the following year. She described him as bright, able
to answer questions during circle time, but not really
showing signs of interacting with the other four year
olds in the class. On the playground he would sit
on the swing, repeating phrases to himself or stand
alone, far from others.
Shortly after this conversation with the teacher,
Miss Amy, Pam called me. She sounded upset and
frightened. I listened carefully to her not all that
surprised. After offering her words of reassurance and
comfort, I told her that Mark and I had felt for some
time that Keaton might need help beyond what we
could offer him. An anxious mother then began her
course of action toward Keaton’s needs, which still
continues today. She and Mark address what seems to
be the most urgent requirement to help Keaton grow
and develop to his full potential. How fortunate he is
to have Mark and Pam as his parents.
Pam made an immediate appointment with Keaton’s
pediatrician. There she explained what the teacher
had said regarding Keaton’s behavior and the teacher’s
belief that he needed professional intervention. The