I know I've been very sporadic. This week has been very tough for me.
Lots of meetings with school personnel, phone calls, letters and so on. All in preparation of an IEP meeting for Gabriel that will take place Monday, January 9th (also is 8th birthday).
Big decision ahead: meaning I'm crying a lot and I'm sleeping close to nothing.
From one side there is this big desire to believe that Gabriel can handle going to a public school with little or no help. On the other, the biggest fear that it will not work out. Don't give me wrong, I do not expect to go smoothly and I know whatever happen I can always fix it. It's one of those situations where I wish I could go ahead of time, like 6 months from now, to see how it plays out and choose accordingly. Of course,
life doesn't work this way.
To sum the situation up for who don't know: Gabriel graduated from a private Autism Center last month after being there of a little bit less than 1 year (
HERE) and it's getting ready to go back into the public system.
Should I mention that I also have a daughter in kindergarten going in the school across the street. This school won't enroll Gabriel. Initially they told me that he didn't qualify for his test results were too low (talk about discrimination), then when we tested him again and he scored ok, they told me that they were afraid his behavior might disrupt the classroom. After fighting to have him in a classroom for 2 hours this week and see what his behavior looks like (was totally acceptable), they are telling me that he requires too much work to get him up to speed with the other children, they even complained of him yawning too much.
WHAT THE HELL????The school district is trying to "bully" me into sending him in another school, 20-25 minutes away from here where they claim are available some "extra" services for my son should he have any troubles. The only trouble he has is that he already frequented that school and he was miserable and thus doesn't wish to get back there, not in a million years.
So what to do, what to do? They are playing on my mommy fears to get all this "extra" help and send him to this particular school, but mommy's heart is telling me that I should listen my son and at least give him a chance in the school he wants to go (where I can keep an eye on him since it's only 1 minute and 30 seconds away) and then IF and only WHEN it doesn't work out, thinking of another solution.
I think it's time to get my little bird out of the nest and see if he flies or fall....what do you think?
All will be discussed and hopefully decided on Monday (did I mention that I'm at it from September???)
I hope I will be up to the task: to listen without getting emotional, to ask the right questions, to keep my cool and make the best of it.
Wish me good luck and.....I will let you know on Monday!
