A little good news.

[Shari]

The in-home just called and has finished her observation. She went and watched difficult child at school, and FINALLY, someone with some letters behind their name actually sees the benefits he's getting in the private school.
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Even tho the private school doesn't have a written plan to deal with difficult child, they pretty much keep him 1-on-1 with a teacher or aid all the time. They work REALLY well with him.
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The docs keep telling me we need to get him in public school, get the school to create a social skills group, get the school to provide a 1-on-1, yada, yada, yada, and while the private school doesn't give him Occupational Therapist (OT) (we do, privately) and the public school could, they don't have social skills groups, they won't provide a 1-on-1, etc. At least the private school is giving him the 1-on-1, and the in-home has actually seen how well they really are working with him there.
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Not to say private is the best choice forever, but its the best option we have for now, and now I have someone with some "authority" to back me on it.

 

[Andy]

That is good news!

My difficult child also goes to a private school. I don't know how I would have made it through last year without it. The teachers were all really fantastic. They allowed him to do what was needed to get through the day. All I had to do was talk to them and they would go along with the plan. He was allowed to chew gum as needed, have gaterade/water at his desk at all times, go aside and journal if he was getting angry, ect. I never felt the need for an IEP because his educational needs were being met without one. Anything I asked for, the teachers would work with me on. They did their best to find ways to help difficult child understand the assignments (especially the math teacher). It upset me that difficult child was beginning to be disrespectful toward the end of the year (I am hoping that was the clonazepam talking and next year will be better without it.)

Our school had a total of 18 kids 1st - 6th so difficult child did get the one to one he needed. There were 4 kids in his grade and 2 kids in 6th so with 6 kids in a classroom, all kids' needs are met and no one gets overlooked.

When something/someplace feels right for our child, we need to follow that feeling and make it work. We have one of the top rated public schools in the state so I do get a lot of flack about not sending him to public. However, I know what is best for my child and I will not let peer pressure change that. As much as people push for public, I push right back for small classroom sizes. Each year the public classrooms grow with teacher cutbacks and I don't want my child to go through that if there is another option.

 

[susiestar]

I am so glad someone is finally backing you up on this. I know the cost of all the private stuff is really hard to meet. But when you see your child grow, it is worth it.

I have gotten the pressure for homeschooling, AND for sending kids to public school. Esp when I had 1 homeschooled and 1 or 2 in public school (my family has always sent the kids to Catholic schools. They are good, but not a good fit for my kids at the time.)

Go with what is right for your kids, and keep this letter-lady to help get the public school to pay for what difficult child gets (if this is possible).

Hugs, and Adrianne is totally right in saying to follow what is right for YOUR kid!

Hugs!