Tomorrow is DS's first day OUT of self contained!

[NJMomma]

And boy am I nervous!!!!

DS (who has PDD-NOS) will be starting Middle School tomorrow. He has been self contained all his school career, from preschool till 5th grade. Starting tomorrow, there will be no aide to shadow him around. He will be in resource Room for every subject, so it's a smaller group than mainstream, but more than he's every had to deal with it.

I wanted this, but now that it's here I am sooo nervous! It's a new school, several new teachers. Last year, the Prinicipal (yes that's right) was complaining about my son's lack of eye contact (HELLO - autism!!!). If that comes from the Princiapl of a school he attended for 3 years, what will happen with all these new teachers????

The philosophy is that he'll sink or swim. If he sinks, he gets placed back into self contained. I have a hard time letting him go, I am over protective of his b/c of his disability. This is sooooo hard!

Just wanted to talk, thanks

 

[KirstenB]

Good luck!!! I'm happy for you that he's progressed so far as to be able to make this leap!! I hope he does great.

 

[bookwormde]

Good luck, IF he cannot manage in his new setting, you have lots of options before moving him back to a more restrictive environment.

If there are indications he is not getting his needs met then call an IEP meeting and go through to whole list of what can be done to support him where he is, all the way from a new sensory audit, to making sure he is getting adequate non academic curriculum support (Social skills, TOM, EF etc.) so he is better prepared for the environment, to making sure policies and procedures are in place to deal with any anxiety, to putting a 1 on 1 para in place and so forth.

bookwormde

 

[clori]

how did everything go?

 

[NJMomma]

So far, it's sort of mixed. He is having a lot of trouble with organization. The way it's set up in our middle school, the kids are required to have certain colored notebooks and folders for certain subjects. He is sort of confused over this right now, but I think in the long run it will help him. He is not turning in papers that are completed and in his backpack - he's so used to having an aide shadow him, and do stuff for him. The things I was worried about - lunch, walking to meet me at DD's school after school - those things are fine. He isn't complaining at all, but I see a sharp increase in stimming behaviors after school - he's stressed. Starting Jr. High is stressful even for neurotypicals, so I expected that.

He's enjoying the cafeteria with lots more choices than elelmentary school, he likes science class, computers and is nervous but interested in wood shop (I am super nervous about wood shop - this is a kid that qualified for OT every year prior to this one).

He was really sheltered in elementary, and I can see now, poorly prepared for this. I think I am going to talk to the elementary case worker about that.

BUT, he's not crying (he has a friend that is ) and goes off with no trouble every morning (so far!). These are good things

 

[bookwormde]

Wow if he is doing that great there is certainly no reason to go back to a self contained classroom (he probably could have been out of it before it they had given him a 1 on 1 Para). Just be sure that you monitor the anxiety and do not let it get to high before you call a meeting for additional supports and accommodations.

bookwormde