Countdown to School
Today is a hectic day for us. Chef and I went to his orientation this morning. We met his teacher, got a school supply list (the one on the website is for the 06/07 school year!) and ran into a friend from last year. So far, so good, especially since the big tub of school supplies held everything he needed but the eraser caps.
Next, Gameboy's orientation at 1pm. I'm about to print out the narrative I created last year to inform the teachers what makes him tick. It's one thing to have an elementary special ed student. They tend to be in a contained classroom with a handful of other students and the same teacher for a few years.
At the middle school level, he's expected to switch classes and deal with at least 4 teachers and 4 paraprofessionals each day. For a kid who hates transitions with a passion, it's torture. The narrative was created to help those who work with him know what his hot buttons are so they can avoid them.
This worked great with the teachers last year. The paras? Not so much. Gameboy can pour on the charm when need be and he certainly did with the paras to the point that they wanted to reward him with computers and games. This had disastrous results. I'm taking a firm approach this year: these are absolutes that can't be ignored. To do so will result in my demand for a new IEP and a one to one aide. I really don't want to force this issue, but I also don't want the kid to spend even one day subjected to in school suspension.
After the visit to the school, we head to Tampa and Gameboy's psychiatrist. He's done better in some areas this summer, but his impulsiveness has been his downfall. I'm at my wit's end on how to get this child to understand that NO means exactly that.
Finally, in a last hurrah of summer (or huzzah, as Chef said it was), we'll be going over to Busch Gardens. It looks like we'll be playing in the rain, though. Storms all day. That's good on two fronts, because we'll have less crowds and no sunburns. I may even get a Shock Top without a long wait in line.
I'm looking forward to next week and being able to rest on the days off!
Next, Gameboy's orientation at 1pm. I'm about to print out the narrative I created last year to inform the teachers what makes him tick. It's one thing to have an elementary special ed student. They tend to be in a contained classroom with a handful of other students and the same teacher for a few years.
At the middle school level, he's expected to switch classes and deal with at least 4 teachers and 4 paraprofessionals each day. For a kid who hates transitions with a passion, it's torture. The narrative was created to help those who work with him know what his hot buttons are so they can avoid them.
This worked great with the teachers last year. The paras? Not so much. Gameboy can pour on the charm when need be and he certainly did with the paras to the point that they wanted to reward him with computers and games. This had disastrous results. I'm taking a firm approach this year: these are absolutes that can't be ignored. To do so will result in my demand for a new IEP and a one to one aide. I really don't want to force this issue, but I also don't want the kid to spend even one day subjected to in school suspension.
After the visit to the school, we head to Tampa and Gameboy's psychiatrist. He's done better in some areas this summer, but his impulsiveness has been his downfall. I'm at my wit's end on how to get this child to understand that NO means exactly that.
Finally, in a last hurrah of summer (or huzzah, as Chef said it was), we'll be going over to Busch Gardens. It looks like we'll be playing in the rain, though. Storms all day. That's good on two fronts, because we'll have less crowds and no sunburns. I may even get a Shock Top without a long wait in line.
I'm looking forward to next week and being able to rest on the days off!
Comments