Well, HI Kelly! Thanks for the youtube link for Carousel of Progress, I watched the whole video, very cool!
Sorry for the repeat everybody else, but about Tyler's school, throughout this whole process and lots of meetings at school, we learned there's a school in his school district that can accommodate him better. His current school just isn't staffed or trained for kids like him and they just stopped trying to put him in the regular classroom because it was just setting him up for bad days. So he'd bounce from the resource (special ed) teacher to the school social worker's office, to the OT room, to the principal's office, depending on whose schedule would allow time with him. They each gave up time with other kids that they're supposed to meet regularly with, so those kids parents were getting upset too (understandably), but they were trying to do the best they could to keep him from situations that are known trouble spots for him. He wasn't eating lunch with the other kids, but had lunch in the social worker's office and got to invite a buddy every day to join him for lunch and their own private recess after the rest of the school went in from the playground (he eventually bumped up to 2 lunch buddies every day).
The new school is only a mile down the road from his current school and he'll be in what they call a basic classroom. His current school is only set up for learning disabilities in the resource room, but the new one is for EI and sensory too. There's the resource teacher and TWO parapros, and the maximum number of kids at one time is 7 in that room. Although he's been away from academics for a couple months, they will first work on behavior management because that's what's getting in the way of his learning, the behaviors that result from his sensory issues. They will focus on strategies he can learn to use when he's feeling overloaded instead of running out of the school or hurting whoever's closest or totally disrupting the class. At the same time, he will still be assigned to a regular 1st grade class, and they will put him in their as much as he can handle, which may not be much at first. In the beginning they will set up a schedule where he can choose 2 activities or academic areas that he enjoys and will send him to class for those (with a parapro) so he'll have a better chance of being successful. As things improve with him, they'll push him into the regular class more and more, depending on how much he can handle, but if he just can't succeed there, this school is set up for him to stay all day in the special ed room and do his work there if that's what works for him. The former school was only set up for 2 1/2 hours in special ed maximum per day.
Last Wednesday the staff from the new school came to his former school for a new IEP and to meet Tyler and talk with him a bit. Then the next day, his former special ed teacher and school social worker took him to the new school to see his new classroom and new special ed classroom. I'll find out from him today when he comes home how the tour went and what he thinks about it.
The staff at the new school attend training regularly on sensory issues, and went through a session where they have to maneuver through a room blindfolded with somebody brushing them with feathers or tapping them or making loud noises behind or next to them to startle them. The purpose was to show them how most of these kids feel in an environment that is normal to us. For some kids with sensory issues, the hum of the overhead lights irritates them, when most of us can't hear it. His new special ed teacher is certified in learning disabilities, and emotional impairment, AND all autism spectrum disorders, so she's dealt with just about every type of disorder and has experience and training. I almost cried with relief when I heard that.
He'll start January 5 when he goes back from Christmas break.
The Energizer Bunny lawyer was there and he asked if I'd come to do some work.
I told him I would, but I have to go home and hide Tyler's presents, then do a better shoveling job, and I have to clean and finish putting up my Christmas lights in case my mom still comes tomorrow. Can't call her to ask until I find my phone cord to plug in!
From me, he's getting the camo Timex with the helicopter second hand, a Pirates of the Caribbean lunch bag for school with his name stitched on (Disney Outlet online), and one of those Hamilton figurines (I think they're called Hamilton, can't remember) of Mickey & Pluto as firefighters, spraying a fire hose from the hydrant. Very cute! And that's it until he gets Santa's gifts. I CAN'T WAIT! I wish Santa could come early!
Not sure I think it is always good though. We also are notorious for using the wrong form of THERE-THEIR-THEY'RE and ITS-IT'S etc.
