A few posts ago, I mentioned that I had asked a question about Ben's placement for next year at his ARD in October and was told we needed to wait and see how much progress he made and that we would discuss it later. If you know me well, you know I have trouble "waiting and seeing," particularly when it comes to Ben or even my big kids, for that matter.
So I didn't. Oh, I stewed on it for awhile, but the more I thought about Ben's fine motor delays, his unhappiness in his PPCD, and his lack of progress in general at this particular school, the more it became an emergency in my mind. Because that's how my mind works. Things become an emergency if they aren't working out properly and I need them fixed RIGHT NOW. But I had no idea what to do about it.
I emailed the wife of a friend (both are teachers in my district), whose son had been in a PPCD/Employee Pre-K situation like Ben's and had moved to an AS PPCD at another school, to ask about her game plan for moving her son. I followed her advice and emailed the diagnosticians at both schools involved, and prepared myself for a battle. I would make demands, work my way up the chain of command, and even kick and scream if need be. I was prepared to fight for what I believed Ben needed.
I was not prepared, however, for how easy it was to put it all in place and how fast the transition would arrive. I sent that email four weeks ago, and Ben just finished his first week at his new school. Long story short, Ben's dad and I observed the AU classroom, met the teachers, instantly became convinced that this classroom was the best learning environment for Ben, sent an email, had an ARD scheduled, had that ARD on a Thursday, and Ben started the new program the following Monday. Done.
If I had any idea it was going to be so easy, I would have done it as soon as we had his diagnosis from the district. There were a lot of things I didn't know, though, like that I could ask for the AU placement, whether or not they had room for him in it, and whether or not the district would fight me or if all of the adults involved would do the right thing for Ben. Fortunately, it was a unanimous decision and to every one's credit, it was handled easily and efficiently.
The best part, of course, is that Ben's new classroom is a much better fit for Ben. It is a more restrictive learning environment than his previous one, which is not usually the way one wants to progress through special education programs, but it is more appropriate for him. He had "regular" peers in his old one, but a large teacher-student ratio. Now he has a classroom of six students and three adults. Now he has a classroom with a fine motor skills table and a school with a sensory room for meltdowns, instead of just a sad face mat for time out. Now he has a teacher with a great deal of Autism experience and knowledge for how to help kids like Ben. Now Ben likes to go to school, and I feel sure he is much more comfortable in his new classroom.
I was terribly worried about the transition, as all transitions are scary and difficult for Ben, and he did scream the first day and kick his shoes off and try to follow us out of the classroom. But it was just one day of trauma. He reportedly walked right into that classroom the other four days of the week without incident. One of the trade-offs of having him at this school is that I can't take him. It is too far from my school and I would be late to my own first period every single morning. Thankfully, his dad is taking him everyday, but I am sad about not being involved in that aspect of Ben's life. I do talk to him about school every morning while I get him ready, and those conversations have been more positive on his part this week. I can tell he likes it and feels happier there and I am thankful for that.
The moral of this story is to ask questions if you are not satisfied with your child's education. I know there will be times in the future when the answers will not be not as easy as they were in this instance, but the result of having an appropriate, safe, happy learning environment for your child is well worth whatever pushing you have to do. I am saving that tantrum I was going to throw in case I need it at a later date. You just never know.
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