My love for baseball springs from many factors, not the least of which involves the statistics. Everything is measurable and in my vague, esoteric existence where sometimes the disturbed children seem to be the ones taken seriously as opposed to the educated, experienced parent, I crave something very concrete to sink my teeth into.

Reading my almost 13 year old son’s latest psychological evaluation, the fourth in six years, all testers seem to be searching for the exact label that remains too elusive at such a young age. The presenting symptoms are frightening, the rage and aggression are real, and the chances for a good outcome seem too slim.

I’ve spent all morning on the phone trying to find him the help that he needs, begging our mental health facility to let us be a test case for the new funding rules that seemed designed to send the normal folks to the hospital, practically refusing any residential help for the needy. I have a new worker along for the ride and she seems very able. The therapist at the state mental hospital also impressed me with her insight.

I spent three hours on this, all morning an exercise in frustration, so now I’m turning my attention to an easier matter.

Our third grade teachers send home Star Reading Diagnostic Reports. I study the dadgum things, reading what needs to be done for optimal progress and understanding the implications of being in this lowest percentile.

Disagreeing on only one point, “Adjust the level of books read so that Scotty maintains an average score of 85% or higher on Accelerated Reader Reading Practice quizzes.”

I don’t want to dumb down our reading efforts. I want to encourage Scotty to try his best. I, of course, won’t choose levels that are too difficult, but I don’t want to make him feel like a kindergartner either.

He came to me a couple of years ago with zero emotional stability and even less maturity. Moved from pillar to post, separated from his darling siblings at times, he was a scared rabbit who is eager to please and easily frustrated.

He has made attainable progress, this I can see via the many results of test scores that have been sent home so I’ll continue to encourage him every day as we settle down at three p.m. for our family afterschool reading time that is etched in stone.