Portrait of My Daughter at 19

by Martha Guevara

My daughter has had some trying times in her life, but is in a good place now. I thought I'd tell you that she has finished 27 college credits at Mass Bay. She enrolled while still technically a high school student and has had some adjustment difficulties along the way, but has done well over all - she has a 3.75 average. Mr. Joe O'Neill, disabilities advisor, has been very helpful. He teaches a non-credit course called "Learning Strategies" which she took with him in her 1st semester and it allowed her to acclimate to Mass Bay and him to get to know her. Because she did well and was picked up by Mass Rehab, I let her take her diploma from Jos. P. Keefe Tech. H.S. in Framingham on May 31st. She was thrilled to graduate, having passed a retake of the MCAS and satisfied all the requirements. I was pleased, too.

Her therapist (Pat Cotter from Blue Hills Counseling in Braintree) has been a great support for the past 5 years, since Angie left the C.A.T. program at the League School to go to Keefe Tech. Mrs. Sheila Jewer at Keefe Tech has also been helpful - she's the SPED Liaison there. I was on the SPED Parents' PAC along with other parents of 2 boys with Asperger's. On the whole, I would say that Sheila and Assistant Principal Bob Leonard worked very hard to understand Angie. My daughter is wonderful, of course, but she has had emotional crises along the way and has sometimes disturbed others with her inappropriate disclosures of personal info, compulsive worries, etc. I'm glad to say that she has come a really long way and has grown up a lot. Also, Dr. Wilfrid Pilette (psychiatrist in Natick) has been wonderful. I think other families in this area could benefit from contacting these providers - I remember how long the wait was to get in to see other doctors when Angie left the League School and I had to find new providers. I like Dr. Pilette and Pat Cotter (MSW/LICSW) and am extremely grateful to them for making themselves available when we have had crises—few and far between, but perhaps inevitable.

My daughter lives at home and walks back and forth to Mass Bay. This has given her a sense of self-sufficiency. She's taking one course now and plans to take one more this summer. I have been very pleased with the quality of instruction she has received. She may transfer to a 4 year college when finished at Mass Bay. She'd like to move out (that would be nice) when she finishes at Mass Bay and if she is ready she will—I think it helped her to start college while still living at home. I have told her it isn't a race, and it helps to have friends whose kids are still at home so that she doesn't feel that everyone except her goes away to school at 18. It also depends on economics.

My daughter’s father is in San Francisco. I have brought her along by myself since she was 23 months old. I am proud of what she's accomplished. I would be happy to talk with any other single parents who are raising kids with Asperger's.

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