Phi Theta Kappa Honors Inductee: Nick

Nick received an invitation to join Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at college.  What an honor!  Two weeks ago was the induction ceremony.  It was quite an event.

Nick has studied hard during his semesters at the local college.  On average, he is taking 8 units a semester and working 15 hours a week.  That is a full schedule.  We’ve had to focus on time management and studying skills, and it’s paying off.  We continue to work on some anxiety/calming techniques as school isn’t always smooth, but he is moving towards his goal of graduating.

For most people, they would think that this is nice and move on.  For Nick this is HUGE.  He was diagnosed mildly mentally retarded in preschool.  I had to fight that label as it was not accurate. Both the psychologist, who conducted the test, and his preschool teacher agreed with me that this was not accurate.  It was ridiculous to put such a label on him.

It took three more years to get a correct diagnosis of autism.  All through that time, we worked with Nick.  We dealt with sensory issues and diet issues.  Finding a balance of teaching and communicating was delicate, but we did.

Now Nick is moving forward beyond what anyone imagined.  College!  We are proud, and Nick’s hard work and perseverance continues to pay off!

To be considered for Phi Theta Kappa, the potential member must have a minimum 3.5 GPA.  Nick enjoys going to their meetings and volunteering with them.

Published by

sasyjohnson

I am: a) happily married for over 27 years; b) mom to five boys, three diagnosed with autism; c) a home schooling mom; and d) self-employed as a piano teacher. There is no trace of autism on my side or my husband's side of the family tree. Until nine years ago, my youngest four all had disabilities, the youngest three with autism. Five years ago my youngest did not "qualify" for the autism label, rendering him "recovered". My second oldest also "tested" out of his speech delay. My husband and I attribute these successes to the care of many family members and therapists, change in diets, not following mainstream medicine yet listening to medical advice, doing our own research, and most importantly, lots of prayer.

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