Saturday, May 05, 2007

Special Ed Games, Part 354

Joey went over to the elementary school this week with a couple other kids who are going over next year, to check it out (andbe checked out). I got the word the day before. Not much time to prepare a little guy for a big event. They slapped a sticker on his back to identify him, and off they went.

He had a pretty good day, but when he got back to his own school, he walked into a pole, then got upset that his sticker got torn. then he was upset about sing the bathroom (not his favorite thing to do in the first place), and ended up not eating much lunch, but was apparently able to join the class at the table for milk.

I replied to this narration of events with a bit of surprise that they were surprised. They turned his schedule upside down, with practically no notice. Fortunately, it was ABA and OT day, and I got him mostly reigned in, but I know he was upset because he wouldn't talk about it at all, not even with yes/no questions. The therapies headed off the brunt of the repercussions by immiedately providing familiar structure and specialized sensory input. He's had a pretty good week, just still not talking about his "adventure" and a little persnickety, nothing I would consider major.

The teacher's response was that it coudn't have been the change in schedule, because he was so happy during the day in the new school: "So in my view the trip and change in schedule were not the causes for the breakdown because he seemed happy and flexible the entire time we were on the bus and at Hugh Mercer."

Doesn't this person realize that when she makes these changes, it impacts us here at home? That he can hold it together in the moment and even at school, but that overload results in breakdown at home? What is the deal here? If this trip ha been on Tuesday, when all we have is speech, instead of Wednesday, it may have been days before Joey was back on track and not hair-trigger for meltdown.

Meanwhile, Andy was doing better yesterday, but today is back down. I've called the clinic. We'll see if we get new meds.

1 comment:

Maddy said...

Doesn't this person realize that when she makes these changes, it impacts us here at home?.......
generally they don't. I'm lucky in that our special ed teachers do get it and also give me a 'heads up' on anything that they think is pertinent.
Lets hope the new school is more with it.