BY SUSANNA PINKUS
This morning, one of my sons wandered into the kitchen. He said, “I was thinking about you, Mum” and went on to ask a surprising question: “What was your PhD in anyway?”, before adding “Do you remember?!”.
Obviously my own children remain largely incredulous that I could have done anything like this, and before they arrived in the world, so it was lovely that he asked (before wandering off again!).
And of course I remember! It was about how and whether authentic partnerships can be formed between parents of children with thinking and learning differences and the professionals involved in their cases (this is kind of a short explanation).
Following families in their liaisons with professionals taught me so much and their experiences so generously shared have stayed with me. But my thinking on how to bring parents, teachers, doctors and other clinicians together has evolved a great deal since. After all, it is literally what I do every day now in my work with families and professional colleagues around the world.
Without the scholarships I received to do it, I would never have been able to have even considered it though. I think about this often, how lucky I was and how grateful I remain.
The PhD took three years full-time to complete and I am even more passionate about this area now than I was then. I am planning to revisit the findings with further thoughts and reflections this year. Much to say…
If I could add a soundtrack, it would definitely be ‘Destiny’s Child’ as that always reminds me of that time in my life – it wasn’t all work!
