I had a student with Cerebral Palsy. His mom came in for conference and told me, "That's my little vegetable!" And I thought, "How RUDE!!! That poor child, if that's what his mom thinks of him!!!" But then I learned Mom said it with pride. At birth, the doctors gave her a whole list of what her of what he'd "never" be able to do. "He'll just be a vegetable!!!" And when she sees her guy, she sees all the things he CAN do (most of which was on that long list!), and when she says that he's a vegetable, she says it in a "See? The professionals had no idea what they were saying!!! I've proved them WRONG!"
