By now you all know how bad the Cat's last school was. How much I fought to even get her to recognize the diagnosis. How difficult it was every step of the way to get the PTB to provide the needed services. I finally got tired of it.
I could not keep fighting with them any more. I had nothing left. So I played my last card. I contacted the DLC and I contacted the Director of Special Ed for the Northeast Region of the ASD. I requested that a district rep be at the transition meeting I wanted to have before the Cat was discharged. The district complied. The DLC is investigating somethings that occurred and that will be another story.
In the mean time the school had scheduled an FBA (read this to see how it went). After that I was done. There was no way in hell that my child would go back to that school. It would happen over my dead body. I had tried so hard. I did everything that was asked of my (except for shutting up and going away). I came whenever I was called. I was always civil and friendly. I let them know if concerns I had prior to contacting someone with the district.
None of it worked. Every time I turned around I ran face first into a steel reinforced brick wall. Every time I thought things would get better again I found myself banging my head against that wall. The PTB just would not work WITH me.
So I told the district rep that I wanted another school. I listed out why I was not comfortable sending the Cat back to the school from hell. I had all my documentation. I had done my research, I knew my rights.But I still had to play nice. So when she asked how firm I was on I said I would see how the meeting went and decide then,
The meeting was a joke. Everything was postponed to another meeting. My concerns were heard but not acknowledged. Nothing was resolved except that the Cat was going to need a new school. I left that 2 hour meeting with no hope at all of things ever getting better. I was beaten.
The following day things got brighter. I met with the district rep to discuss the previous meeting and look at moving the Cat to another school. And I WON!! The Cat got a new school. I was elated.
Until reality set in. What makes me think that this school will be any better than the school from hell?? Its still a neighborhood school in the district... All programs in the district are the same right?? The first one did not work. Why would this one?? What makes this one better?
The people!!! THEY GET IT!!
The new school is the best district public school I could possibly hope for!!
THEY GET IT!!!
Everything I wanted for the Cat, they have. The PTB here are amazing. The teacher is understanding. They are going to meet the Cat where she is and help her to advance rather then expecting her to be where everyone else is. They get that this is a SPECTRUM disorder and so everyone is different and you need different techniques and strategies.
There are "safe places" in EVERY room in the building. Small tents with weighted blankets and soft pillows to go calm down. If she melts down I will be notified in daily communication but will not be called unless NOTHING else works. The schedule is set up with plenty of opportunities to move and take breaks from the academics.
They focus on life skills as well. There are times in the day to focus on social skills, fine motor skills, hygiene. They have recess and then come in for lunch and then have specials before going back to academics. They have everything visual. They use first then language. There are social stories for things, a spinner for calming techniques. The room is in centers. The day is broken up between large and small group times and individual work.
THEY GET IT!!!
They are open AND receptive to the AT's coming in to help support. There are clear defined roles for when the AT's will step in and when the teacher will handle things.
I will get daily communication. In a journal sheet from the Cat, and in a notebook from the teacher. So we can all look at the same data and information to look for patterns.They will communicate with me about what they are doing that is working and what is not. All things the school from hell would not do not matter how much I asked.
This place is all I could ever have dreamed of! I love it.
And it's all because I never gave up. I did not stop advocating and knowing that the Cat deserved better than she was getting.
You know your child, better than anyone else. Don't let the school or anyone else tell you different. You know what helps and what hurts. DON"T GIVE UP!! Keep going because it can and will get better. But keep fighting. I am here to listen and offer what suggestions I can if you need a shoulder. Just don't quit!
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