Read I Am in Here for Free Online Page A

the management team at Edison Schools perform with pressures coming from every direction. While I was on the board of directors, the team built the largest independent company managing public schools in the United States, running 120 schools in more than twenty states. In most cases, public school districts contracted with Edison Schools when student performance was at rock bottom. Edison’s management team performed well, in terms of student achievement, under tremendous pressure from teachers unions, politicians, and Wall Street.
    For many children with autism, stress comes from subtle sensory issues such as sights, sounds, and smells. Years ago,Elizabeth told us about the stress she felt when she saw certain colors and how she found a way to manage that stress.
    ----
    I like basic colors for basic things. When things get clear I must not see a quiet color like brown. I am looking at yellow because I feel clear, but when I get all confused I have to start looking for my DVD. DVDs can have smooth color effects. They are really noisy in a good way. Not at all confusing. But I get so confused when I hear someone ask me something too direct. I like to see bluish colors when I feel relaxed. I don’t mind it now, but don’t show me brown when I am mad!
    ----
    To this day, not one piece of clothing in Elizabeth’s closet is brown. Why take a chance? This passage helped me understand why she watched so many videos as a youngster. She effectively managed her stress by watching Disney videos whose primary colors soothed her.
    â€œShow Me” Strong Evidence of Pain Relief
    A company needs to have a compelling value proposition which remedies a critical pain point for its customers. In other words, the company’s product is a must-have solution. When that dynamic exists in a large and growing market, I’m an investor.
    For Elizabeth, Soma offered that kind of pain relief when she taught Elizabeth to communicate on the letterboard. It was a must-have solution.
    Today Soma continues to offer pain relief to Elizabeth because they have such a special relationship. Soma is probably the closest thing that Elizabeth will ever have to a therapist. I know this because I recently asked Elizabeth if she wanted to go to a local therapist and she typed, “ No, my business is private .” But when Elizabeth “talks” with Soma, nothing is out of bounds. Elizabeth is curious about all the same things that other thirteen-year-olds are curious about, and I have found myself blushing during their sessions.
    In a recent visit with Soma, we tried to get a better understanding of how to help Elizabeth when she is in distress. Like most of us, she finds it hard to communicate in the midst of an emotional outburst. Putting a letterboard in front of her when she is upset compounds the problem.
Soma:
What can Mom do if you are crying?
Elizabeth:
Always give choices .
Mom:
Let’s do that to figure out why you were crying last night.
Soma:
Was something hurting on your body? N for no and Y for yes.
Elizabeth:
N
Soma:
Were you sad?
Elizabeth:
N
Soma:
Were you angry?
Elizabeth:
N
Soma:
Were you overwhelmed?
Elizabeth:
Y. Crying takes much of my energy out .
Soma:
It unplugs your energy?
Elizabeth:
Y. I need to clean my mind. My crying has nothing to do with sorrow. It is my energy coming out .
Mom:
And why do you bang your head?
Elizabeth:
Body gets hot inside and that way it feels calm later. And I can’t live or function in that heat. My body was angry, not my soul .
Soma:
Is there anything that we could do to stop your banging your head?
Elizabeth:
I don’t find pain by doing it .
Soma:
But it is difficult for people to watch.
Elizabeth:
I don’t want them to watch .
    This discussion has given me some comfort and guidance to better deal with the meltdowns that occur. To know that crying releases energy for Elizabeth and is not usually related to sorrow makes it easier for me to handle. I still have a