Friday, January 27, 2012

You Are To Smart To Sit In The Corner

So we knew this day would come. One thing you have slowly learned about your mommy is that I am a little bit of a control freak and that I am a little obsessive compulsive when it comes to your educational needs, programming, and behaviors. That I need to know what is going on and I need to understand why things are happening, or why a program works and doesn't work. I can not just sit back and watch things occur around us. I need the knowledge and I need to know where we can be pushing to the next level. You are too smart to be sitting at a table one on one looking at picture cards. You are to smart to not be held to higher expectations and you need to start showing this to people.

We moved here for Helping Hands. I put all my trust and faith in them so that I could step back, let them do their job, and watch from the sidelines. Lets just say that didn't last for long. I have been frustrated this week in their academic programming for you. Even though you are using your device so much better then you ever had in the past, they are not holding you to high standards when it comes to your cognitive ability. Actually, they moved you all the way back to identical matching which is a skill you mastered the first week you came home. I feel as if they did not read your IEP from VA, did not contact the individuals I tried to put them in contact with who could fill them in more appropriately on your skills, and did not take my information into consideration.

Because of this, everything hit the fan throughout this week and finally came to a head today. Lets just say I finally sent an email explaining that I would not put trust in a system that was not appropriately meeting your needs and that I was paying to much money for them not to be educating you. That you were not to sit with an adult one on one looking at picture cards anymore. That you were not to be pulled from your core academic subjects to work on colors and shapes and that they needed to find a way to individualize your program within the group aspect of a classroom. They seemed shocked that the goal is that you go back to public schools (with support) in the next 3-5 years and that I hold you to the same behavioral expectations as any typically developing child your age.

You have already shown them you are ready for this. I mean seriously, they changed the entire setup of your communication device and the expectations with using it as of January 1st and you already learned the system and use about 50 different 1 and 2 word phrases with it throughout multiple environments. If you can navigate through 3 and 4 pages deep with 60 buttons on each page and still create a 2 word phrase appropriate to the situation then you sure as hell know what a "shoe" is and need to take your learning to the next level.

It is okay though. I am confident in my fight and am stubborn that you will succeed in this environment. I know in the big picture this is the school for you. That they have the means to make it happen and can provide the intensity we need, they just need a little guidance right now on how to do that and I will happily provide it to them - whether they asked me to or not :)

I have a meeting set up with the directors, your classroom supervisor, and the behavior analyst on Tuesday next week. We have allowed plenty of time for this and I plan on walking in well armed with information, print outs, data, etc. We will move forward, get your appropriate program in place and continue to push you to new levels. Not necessarily a set back just a learning experience that I cannot let my guard down and will always be fighting to ensure your educational needs are met. All of this will just make us stronger!

Keep on Truckin Baby -
Love
Mom

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