I think having difficult child at high school has been a huge eye opener for their Special Education staff. When we met with them in August one of the teachers was saying things like they were used to kids with difficult child there shouldn't be any problem. We had a pre meeting with them in June and then again in August with his former spec. ed teachers. We told them very honestly what difficult child is like. We said that he can make it at most 10 minutes in a class before needing a break and then maybe not being able to return. We really didn't hold anything back.
After the first week of school they wrote that things were going well overall but needed to work on some things. By the end of the second week of school they called into the district for support. It's the third week and they are working on setting up some sort of a behavior system.
In one of her emails last week the case manager mentioned that difficult child was mentioning they were having a problem with difficult child threatening staff and would we please talk to him and tell him not to do it (seriously? as if husband and I have never talked to him before and if we did he would stop?)
Last night at open house I laughed to myself because they are not use to dealing with a disability like difficult child's and that why they are calling in for support (we totally support this).
All of this is not surprising at all to husband and me. We are just sitting back and smiling because it almost seems like everything we told them went in one ear and out the other in the beginning and now they are realizing they weren't as prepared as they thought. We told them in the beginning the mainstream course would be difficult for difficult child to be in (they have dropped one and added a P.E class). We also questioned why (and they agreed) that our district doesn't have some sort of an alternate school for kids like difficult child. He did last year in middle school and he had a great year, however, they have nothing like that in high school.
To their credit, I think it is good they are seeking the extra input and they have been communicating often with us. I also think it is good they have admitted they are not use to kids like difficult child.
After the first week of school they wrote that things were going well overall but needed to work on some things. By the end of the second week of school they called into the district for support. It's the third week and they are working on setting up some sort of a behavior system.
In one of her emails last week the case manager mentioned that difficult child was mentioning they were having a problem with difficult child threatening staff and would we please talk to him and tell him not to do it (seriously? as if husband and I have never talked to him before and if we did he would stop?)
Last night at open house I laughed to myself because they are not use to dealing with a disability like difficult child's and that why they are calling in for support (we totally support this).
All of this is not surprising at all to husband and me. We are just sitting back and smiling because it almost seems like everything we told them went in one ear and out the other in the beginning and now they are realizing they weren't as prepared as they thought. We told them in the beginning the mainstream course would be difficult for difficult child to be in (they have dropped one and added a P.E class). We also questioned why (and they agreed) that our district doesn't have some sort of an alternate school for kids like difficult child. He did last year in middle school and he had a great year, however, they have nothing like that in high school.
To their credit, I think it is good they are seeking the extra input and they have been communicating often with us. I also think it is good they have admitted they are not use to kids like difficult child.
