On the Road to a Dream

Who would have thought when he was a toddler and preschooler and petrified of any loud noises, especially fire trucks, that his greatest desire in life would end up to be becoming a firefighter?

When Nathan first joined the fire department and talked about doing this, we thought it was just one more of his obsessions that come from being on the autism spectrum. However, this one stuck and took root and grew.

He has flourished as part of the volunteer department. Dan & I run into different fireman around town and they all have the same thing to say. Nathan is eager to learn, picks things up quickly, is cheerful and willing to do whatever is asked of him.

However, there are some major hurdles to overcome.



He has major learning disabilities. His reading levels are very low and writing skills even lower. In order to become a paid fire fighter some day, he will have to pass some heavy duty examinations and certifications.

Recently, the chief got him into a class called, Scene Support. The textbook is huge and difficult to read. He had to take a test before he even started the class.

So, he and I sat down and read together. We had to read some parts over and over again to grasp what it was saying.

Then he sat down and took the test. And PASSED!



This is only one part of the whole class, but he is on the road to his dream!