Update (was inclusion)

[Guest guest]

Hi all!

First let me say I am floored by all the responses to this. Thanks to

everyone who shared their experiences! I know this will also help

those who have to make these decisons in the coming spring and summer

months.

This is what happened today. I met with director of the special needs

program from the public schools. We talked about areas of concern and

set dates for evaluations. We talked about me coming down to the

elementary school where the special needs classrooms are based for a

tour. (My local elementary only handles some ST).

I gave her a list (6 pages!) of my son's weaknesses/behaviors/delays.

In hindsight, I wish I had drawn up a list of his strengths as well.

Anyway, she thanked me profusely for this and said it would help a

LOT. It also kept the never-ending questions to a minimum and I was

able to relay info to her without forgetting anything important.

We talked a lot about my son's options for ST and OT. She explained

that there are many variations: he could receive ST one on one in the

home, he could receive ST at a daycare or private preschool setting,

he could receive ST at our local elementary school, or he could

receive ST at another elementary school (where the special needs

program is based) in a special needs classroom setting. The amount of

ST per week would be determined by the evals obviously.

My understanding is that OT would have to take place in the special

needs classroom, but dont' quote me on that. It was a lot of

information. My son was bouncing off the walls at the time. You get

the idea.

But wait-there's more! I asked her if there were certain church

preschool programs that were receptive to having special needs

children in their classrooms (I have you all to thank for that one!)

and there are!!! In fact, two of the best programs are led by women

who have actually worked with special needs children in the public

school system. And it get's better... they also have summer

programs!! Now it gets bad...the classes are nearly full. These are

very popular programs. I am going to rush out first thing in the

morning to try and tour these preschools.

I don't have time to wait for the evals to come back, I can't wait

for our iep, these classes will fill up by then. Sooooo... I am going

to reserve a spot for him in a church preschool program and just fork

over the non-refundable registration fee. I'm not ruling out the

special needs class at the elementary, I know there are some really

excellent classes out there, I am just setting aside an option that I

may or may not need in the fall.

The thing is (here's where you are going to kill me), I still don't

know what the right decision is. Perhaps his special needs classroom

teacher won't be so great or maybe his church preschool teacher won't

be all that patient. I won't know until he's actually IN the class to

really see if it works FOR HIM. There's no crystal ball here. So I am

just going to be open to everything, suppress any high expectations I

might have of either location. I am just going to wait and see and in

the meanwhile I am going to enjoy my son while he's still my little

boy. And now I'm done. Thanks for your help soooooooo much. I am

inspired that really truly wonderful things can happen in BOTH

settings.

Amy : )