Money..Money..Money....

So the answer to last weeks' post is NO.. No you can't pay tuition to go to an out of district school.
So.. back to square one.

We've decided we need to know where Michael is academically... so we're getting him tested (Independently, of course)
www.learningconsultants.com

We are getting a WISC test.. this will show us how Michael learns, ie, with verbal cues, visually, etc.
We're also going to do a Nonverbal test-which should be really cool.

The best part about this testing is.. that the director said I could be in the room with him.. and so can his computer. She said she could 'off the cuff' test him on his computer and his ability to answer questions independently with it.

HOW COOL IS THAT.

Of course.. that is where the MONEY.. Money..Money comes in.. because as I said.. this is the start.

Next week, we start touring private schools, because that is our only alternative at this point.

Then we have to decide what to do, and when.

I read a blog of another mom who has a child with severe autism. She wrote something that really struck me.
She said.
"I'm not the mom who has the shiny new car, I'm not the Mom with the finest clothes.. My family doesn't get to take a vacation every year... because every last cent we have goes to our child. It goes to Therapy, It goes to Hospitals, It goes to Therapy Tools, It goes to Technology, It goes to Consultants, It goes to Private School. "

So maybe I don't have a shiny new car... but I'm doing the best possible thing for my child, and I will continue- God Willing!

I love my child, I love my children, my husband and my family.. and we adjust, we adapt, because we have to.
We live in a world of limits and we are blowing those limits away.. because my child will live a life full of advantages... and not disabilities.

Can you Pay to be in an out of district Public School?

That is the question we need an answer to! Because we think we've found a wonderful school for Michael.. the only thing is.. that it's out of our district, and we are NOT going to move.
I will do anything for Michael, and maybe if Cam and Jacob were off at college, I would consider it- but I'm not uprooting the other two children.

We'll just have to find another outlet.

Brad's left a message for the State Board of Educators- I've emailed our local Director of Special Services- but I'm a little leery of talking in depth with her- because 1. she's paid by our school district and 2. she's been on our team for 2 years now and I can't say I'm uber impressed.

So we hurry up and wait.. Ideally, I'd like to get Michael in somewhere new for summer school- just to test the waters to see how he'd do in a new environment.
We haven't had a tour of a local private school, because we are still trying to see if the public schools are an option.

During another great therapy session yesterday, Julie said again how much more advanced Michael is on his computer than anyone she's ever seen.

As proud as that makes me, it also hurts because the school doesn't see the potential. The knowledge that Michael has.
They are still telling us that Michael can't recognise his name, or shapes.. but yet at therapy and home, he can flip through several screens and tell us all kinds of things.
ARG.

So the search continues.. Anyone that knows about Due Process or IEP Advocates.. please don't hesitate to contact us.

Love you all!

Thank Goodness for Warranties...

So.. the computer is broken- It happened once last year.. it is however.. under warranty.

Which is a GREAT blessing, because this fix will probably require a new hard drive and could have cost us $700.

The bad news is that Michael will be without his computer for a week or so.

Our Private Speech Therapy is going great.. Julie says Michael really WANTS to learn and do a good job for her. Last week, he got 100% of his 'the very hungry caterpillar' quiz correct. That's a pretty big accomplishment for him, because he only had that page/book for two weeks.

We took the family to our first Cardinal baseball game of the year and Michael had a blast...
I'm not sure if it was all of the snacks he ate, or the game.
Actually, I know it was the game.

He would clap and clap and scream when he saw a good play. He didn't like the fireworks when there was a home run.. but than that.. he LOVED it.

I think I found an Open Window...

This week has been another really hard week for me. The conflict, miscommunication at school is breaking my heart.

I thought it was 'the worst' when they didn't seem to know ANYTHING about Michael's computer, or how to alter curriculum for him.. but I was wrong.

It's worse when you approach the school about a cool site you've just found (www.adaptedlearning.com) and come to find out that the SPED teacher already was familiar with the site- or in her words- Very familiar with the site.

WHY WHY aren't you adapting the school work for my child? Why am I left to find these things on my own? Why aren't you giving my child the benefit of the doubt.. that he IS teachable?

While Brad and I are on a hunt for an education advocate, and touring private schools.. I have to think there's a bigger purpose to all of this.

I continue to have this feeling... I am destined to do something more.... Cameron has also felt this way.

A month ago, when Michael got hurt at school, Cameron said she wanted to be Michael's para.. 'cause how did he get hurt if someones with him all the time' (she's her mother's daughter!)

This week- she wants to be a special education teacher.. and wants to know what classes in college she needs to take.... because she wants to help families, just like Michael.

So maybe we're meant to move a mountain- we're suppose to become advocates for not only Michael, but find a way to bridge the gap between schools and homes- and people that need access to computers to help children talk, learn, live.

Maybe this hurdle is really something more- maybe it's an open window in a dark basement that I just have to find a way to open.

Avoiceformichael will be a nonprofit organization.. and the mission statement will be:

A charity designed to help communities, schools and families with Childhood Apraxia live a life full of possibilities... a group created in the hopes that Apraxia won't be something we live with, but something we adapt into our everyday lives so that people can express themselves without verbal words.

Well- I'll have to work on the mission statement- but it's a start!!

An Email from School.... can be enlightening....

So before spring break, I received a letter from Michael's SLP* saying she wanted to share his computer with the class. To take a moment in their regular classroom, and show the kiddos how hard Michael works to say anything...

It was a nice email... certainly a step in the right direction.

In her email she suggested that we print out all of the pages that Michael has to use in order to say hello, or make a statement.

If I went to school and gave each student a 10 page manual.. I think I would loose them on the first page.

BUT.. if I show them how cool it is to take a spelling test on his computer- maybe they would think it's cool that Michael has a computer to help him.


So tomorrow we're meeting with the principal and his speech therapist to discuss what we could do for the classroom.
I'm going to take the opportunity to show them a few different thoughts that I had.. and hopefully they will run with it!

There are math quizzes that we could make, spelling tests... really the possibilities are endless.
www.adaptedlearning.com

So tomorrow's another big day.. and I hope it's a successful one.

(Bringing Brad with me.. because he's my voice of reason.. I typically want what I want.. and I don't back away from speaking my mind... Brad plays the 'good guy in our good guy/bad guy routine..)

*SLP, Speech/Language Pathologist.