buddy
New Member
Gosh we are lucky to have met such amazing people here! TeDo and her boys were staying in the area so we went to swim with them for a while. They were so great together. Q loves being with them. We had been to eat at my dad's house before and Q did well there too. He finally realized school was going to start soon and got really excited. I'm actually cautious this year .....
Much like last year I'm nervous because they made a move so I'm worried the politics of the situation may be a problem. I got a call from our legal advocate first. Their director said she was concerned that I had said they had to have a hands off policy ....ummm nope. The head of the program he is in (who retired this summer ...arrrg ...) was very pro hands off because it escalates these kids but we of course said if there is a safety issue then as long as the staff is certified and doing the right things they have to do what they have to do. I suggested a meeting to make sure we are all on the same page. Then, they asked if I thought he'd do better off campus for vocational training. I actually do think so but I fear their motive is to not have him in their precious new expensive school. A school built to work with kids who can't be managed behaviorally anywhere else and they tell me they are worried because there is thousands of dollars worth of new equipment in the room. This school has very low functioning non verbal, highly physical kids with autism, ebd programs, fetal alcohol program, etc....why in hell did they cram the rooms with non movable electronics? And they said they are on the top floor ....and are worried about safety. (Q has never done anything unsafe like that. He is afraid of high places actually ) .....so I asked why they didn't set up the room to match the iep 's? I have that same worried feeling I had last year when they moved the class at the old school -and was right. ....I hope im wrong this time but the call from his teacher makes me think that the property is more important than maintaining the program they promised and have been doing with us since April.
Q has had Q moments but in general is much more settled and his dog and he are really bonding. JJ Yeley is just a dream doggie. You can use him as a pillow or he will lie on you and his warm heavy body is calming even to me! I do it too for his training so I know how therapeutic it is! I'm excited to work with the therapy trainers when funding is approved.
The newer providers keep saying I should think about out of home placement in case something happens and I don't get much say ....but his longer term providers are saying there isn't anything anyway and he would be bounced around and negatively impacted. My gut firmly feels that I should know whats out there ...have our ducks in a row as far as evaluations and emergency plans but that upping in home service has made such a great difference that it is not time. He did amazing in the programs he was in this summer. So proud of his "graduation " from his dog therapy agility program. I think his old school would have said he could never do what he did. Took his dog thru stations. Made the dog do a trick and had to respond to a question himself....like im proud of _______. At the end they have to stand in front of everyone and receive feedback and respond appropriately. Then during peer's turns he had do contribute to the feedback and he was great for all 8 peers. In his autism social group he also got great written reports even saying they think he would be ready for their overnight sessions. They had an hour of classroom social skills direct teaching then went out to water parks, museums, etc. and practiced skills. They said he was polite and as he became comfortable the blurts all but stopped. They found that doing a sensory integration activity like spinning or swinging right before transitions helped eliminate difficulties. So great to experience programs that follow thru with proactive steps. Hope it continues. I just feel so lacking in trust that any good thing will last. He is also continuing his Neurofeedback sessions and the charts are showing good improvement.
So there's our current status. I found myself praying for all of our gifts who have or are starting school....from the pre K kiddos to the college / transition / vocational training aged students. I hope this year brings all of them increased skill building and lots of opportunities for success and self esteem building.
Big Hugs everyone ...especially if you made it thru this rambling post, LOL
Much like last year I'm nervous because they made a move so I'm worried the politics of the situation may be a problem. I got a call from our legal advocate first. Their director said she was concerned that I had said they had to have a hands off policy ....ummm nope. The head of the program he is in (who retired this summer ...arrrg ...) was very pro hands off because it escalates these kids but we of course said if there is a safety issue then as long as the staff is certified and doing the right things they have to do what they have to do. I suggested a meeting to make sure we are all on the same page. Then, they asked if I thought he'd do better off campus for vocational training. I actually do think so but I fear their motive is to not have him in their precious new expensive school. A school built to work with kids who can't be managed behaviorally anywhere else and they tell me they are worried because there is thousands of dollars worth of new equipment in the room. This school has very low functioning non verbal, highly physical kids with autism, ebd programs, fetal alcohol program, etc....why in hell did they cram the rooms with non movable electronics? And they said they are on the top floor ....and are worried about safety. (Q has never done anything unsafe like that. He is afraid of high places actually ) .....so I asked why they didn't set up the room to match the iep 's? I have that same worried feeling I had last year when they moved the class at the old school -and was right. ....I hope im wrong this time but the call from his teacher makes me think that the property is more important than maintaining the program they promised and have been doing with us since April.
Q has had Q moments but in general is much more settled and his dog and he are really bonding. JJ Yeley is just a dream doggie. You can use him as a pillow or he will lie on you and his warm heavy body is calming even to me! I do it too for his training so I know how therapeutic it is! I'm excited to work with the therapy trainers when funding is approved.
The newer providers keep saying I should think about out of home placement in case something happens and I don't get much say ....but his longer term providers are saying there isn't anything anyway and he would be bounced around and negatively impacted. My gut firmly feels that I should know whats out there ...have our ducks in a row as far as evaluations and emergency plans but that upping in home service has made such a great difference that it is not time. He did amazing in the programs he was in this summer. So proud of his "graduation " from his dog therapy agility program. I think his old school would have said he could never do what he did. Took his dog thru stations. Made the dog do a trick and had to respond to a question himself....like im proud of _______. At the end they have to stand in front of everyone and receive feedback and respond appropriately. Then during peer's turns he had do contribute to the feedback and he was great for all 8 peers. In his autism social group he also got great written reports even saying they think he would be ready for their overnight sessions. They had an hour of classroom social skills direct teaching then went out to water parks, museums, etc. and practiced skills. They said he was polite and as he became comfortable the blurts all but stopped. They found that doing a sensory integration activity like spinning or swinging right before transitions helped eliminate difficulties. So great to experience programs that follow thru with proactive steps. Hope it continues. I just feel so lacking in trust that any good thing will last. He is also continuing his Neurofeedback sessions and the charts are showing good improvement.
So there's our current status. I found myself praying for all of our gifts who have or are starting school....from the pre K kiddos to the college / transition / vocational training aged students. I hope this year brings all of them increased skill building and lots of opportunities for success and self esteem building.
Big Hugs everyone ...especially if you made it thru this rambling post, LOL
I'm glad that the sensory issues are abating, with-spinning, etc. That's really great. To think, yrs ago, no one had heard of these things ...
