Decisions.. decisions...

As a parent, you try to lead your kids in the right direction, and hope they make the right decision... or a choice that is profound.

You want your children to grow into respected adults, and live a life better than you could have ever pictured.

The same wish is true for Michael. With one exception:

Michael can't be lead to make the right choice... He needs his parents to make decisions for him- and we're up for the challenge.

We met with the Director of Special Services for the Public School last Friday.
She assured us that next year will be much better than his 1st grade. She picked a teacher, who in her own words, "wants to teach Michael".

Certainly, that's a start-

But after going over Michael's Testing results (new blog to follow) with a consultant, we came to the conclusion that Michael needs to be in an environment with 1:1 ration and intense therapy.

Can the public school provide that?

And can a private special needs school provide the social interaction that Michael craves?

We did tour several schools and I really like one in particular.

This school provides the option to go to school 3 days a week - therefore allowing for dual enrollment.
Michael could go to an intensive private therapy school three days a week and to the public school two days a week.

There are so many positives to this option. 1. Intense Therapy 2. Integration of mainstream kiddos 3. Flexibility.

Also - what would happen if we just pick one: public/vs. private. And if the one we picked didn't meet our expectations?

With choosing both, we could always, at any time, pick one over the other.

Still determining what the best thing to do is... but our deadline is approaching rather quickly- the private school starts next month.

Just wanted you all to know where my head was, and what we're focusing on now.

Sometimes Waiting Is the hardest part....

Testing Part 2 went well yesterday.

Yesterday was vocabulary testing (Peabody test). Our private SLP gave the test in her office.... the test to me was a little hard.

All of the pages had four pictures, but the pictures were very similar.. ex: Michael, find the picture that is DRIPPING.
His choices were: a shower, a watering can, a faucet, and a hose...

The answer: a faucet drips water.

So what they do, is they start at age three: shapes, nouns, and then they move onto verbs, and action words.

Michael was so proud of himself when he knew the answer.. but when he didn't.. you could tell in his eyes.. he would peer up at me or the tester.. and just point.

but even then.. I'd reach out and give him a high five.. because I know he wanted it!

His test score for that test was a vocabulary knowledge of a 4 year and 2 month old.

I'm a little disappointed with that... but... This isn't the final score from all of the IQ testing..
But it's also a benchmark.. I can still say.. School- he knows his shapes and numbers.. lets move on to "dripping"

We won't get the complete results until late next week...

I'm super proud of Michael.. He worked so hard.. and it tells me again.. how much he wants to learn.. because he was so proud of himself!!!

I love you buddy- good job!

One's Two's and Shapes for you...

Tomorrow Michael goes for his IQ tests.
I have so much anxiety about this.... I guess because a part of me realizes how important this is to his education, his future.. but also to me.

I've spent months fighting the school, fighting with his teachers about how much more he knows.. and what if my expectations are just too high?

So tomorrow at 11:30, we'll sit down with an independent advisor, and Michael will be given a non verbal test- About 100 words (pictures) that he's suppose to identify.

He'll be given a very generic IQ test, the same test that they use to decide whether someone is ready to go to kindergarten.

So I hope Michael is ready.... I'll feed him with lots 'o brain power food tomorrow morning... and hope that he comes ready to work.

Good Luck Mikey.. I know you can do it!!!

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!!