Kindergarten progress

Since we have reached winter break of the 2011-2012 school year, I wanted to include an update on how Diego is doing in school.

  

A big help for us are the new daily charts that are sent home with his communication notebook.  The staff staples a sheet in the book that details for us what he ate, his bathroom use (doing great!), which class or therapy he had that day, and at least one or two highlights of the day.  It is exactly the type of update I like to see since he is not able to relay all that info to us.  I think back to when I was young and my Dad asked us how school was every day and just saying “good” was not enough.  He wanted details and now I do too.

Diego is actually doing some basic addition and subtraction, writing numbers more clearly and had his first oral presentation just a few weeks ago.  He had to tell the class some of the highlights of a book they read.  From what I understand the teacher prompted him to answer some question about the book they read and he had to use a poster as his guide.  Reading continues to be a challenge as he mixes up some words and usually does not want to do that part of his homework.  The teacher also sent home a really cute CD with all the songs they use in class (days of the week, labeling with the alphabet and so on) to demonstrate just how much he has memorized.

I’ll be the first to admit that all that he has done has exceeded my expectations.  I thought when we met last April to prepare his goals for kindergarten that we had set a realistic standard for him and that he would be challenged.  I look at his paperwork and am delighted to say he is doing all we thought he might do and more!  He’s blowing the standard out of the water and I’m so proud of him… It is a testament to all the work he puts in and how well his teacher is guiding the class. 

As a side note, he now tells me “one secoooond” when I ask him to give me the iPad or my phone (he plays angry birds on my phone now too).  He also uses “whatever” in response to us and although many parents might be bothered we think it’s great as it illustrates just what many other kids his age are telling their parents…

Wit and Wisdom compilation

Today, September 20, 2011, Wit and Wisdom from the Parents of Special Needs Kids is being released.  This book is a compilation of stories written by parents that are dedicated to making a difference, and I am one of the authors featured in the publication.  As many of you know, my older son Diego was diagnosed with autism in 2008 and I am committed to sharing our story to bring about change.  By that I mean a shift in how we both perceive and act towards people that posses a different way of thinking.  The other contributors to this anthology are special needs parents just like me, relating their experiences of life with their exceptional children.  The book is available for purchase at Amazon.com, and I invite you to come discover the world of special needs parents and support our cause by purchasing a copy.  Click here or on the link provided on the right side of this page and you will be directed to the page at Amazon.

When I was originally invited to participate in this project, there were a few ideas I was kicking around, trying to decide which particular topic I wanted to discuss.  A few weeks later, the decision was made for me.  We had just attended a meeting to discuss Diego’s placement for kindergarten for the upcoming school year.  During our meeting, the education official (who was actually a school psychologist) made some very negative comments, leaving me to wonder how someone working in that capacity could know so little about autism.  I left that meeting saddened by the way he spoke about Diego’s future but determined not to dwell on the negativity.  Later that same day I decided that my entry in the book would be about our encounter that morning.  That story and everything else I write is intended to foster hope for the future by slowly chipping away at what seems to be a mountain of ignorance that exists in regard to intellectual disabilities and autism in particular.

Graduating from preschool

In just a few days Diego will finish his two year preschool program.  That in itself is a major accomplishment for our son, a sweet little boy that struggled to sit still and focus on tasks and made requests using one-word approximations and hand gestures.  Now with two years of preschool we have witnessed so many positive changes and have marveled at his ability to use language more consistently.  As I look back to the few months that preceded his enrollment in preschool, I remember just how nervous we were about sending him.  When originally touring schools in the spring and summer of 2009, the program we ended up choosing for him stood out because of the staff.  We felt welcome right from the start.  Despite our anxiety about how he would handle the separation from us during the day, we felt Diego would receive excellent care and that definitely turned out to be true.  We will be forever grateful to his teacher, aides and therapists for all their hard work.

As an example of just how much progress he has made, I’m going to include the following story:

Not too long ago I used to wonder when Diego would start calling me by name.  Would he use “Dad” or “Daddy”?  Perhaps even “Papá”.  I knew whatever he decided would be fine by me and since he turned 5 this year I figured it was only a matter of time before he began to use one of them.  Sure enough, one afternoon at the end of April we were getting ready to leave for music class and Diego said “Daddy” for the first time without prompting!  He wanted me to hurry up and put my shoes on so we could leave.  I know I’ll never forget that moment, I ran up and gave him a high five and then started hugging him.  I was beaming with joy the rest of the day.  It took five years but that feeling I had was more than worth the wait. 

Special needs preschool

There are some schools out there that are making a difference in the lives of special needs kids and their families. Our son is in preschool and while I know there may be classes in the future that are not as helpful and accommodating as the one he is in now, I wanted to illustrate how dedicated the staff has been with Diego and our family.

I have a page up over at Examiner and click here to read about his school.

Preparing for the IEP

We are currently preparing for an IEP meeting.  Our son will be moving on to Kindergarten in the fall and transitioning out of the preschool special needs program and into a whole new system.  Naturally I am nervous about the process since this will mean a larger school, new teachers and a complete change in his routine.  Diego has autism and for the foreseeable future will require a separate, special education class to meet his needs.   I don’t feel comfortable with professional people who do not really know my son making decisions that will be so important to his educational, emotional and social development.  Therefore I am preparing for the meeting by becoming familiar with special needs education, my son’s rights and the new program he will become a part of in the near future. 

I felt it would be a good idea to put my thoughts down in an open letter to the board of education officials that will be helping to make the decision on his school placement and the amount and types of therapies he will receive next school year.

To Whom It May Concern:

I realize that with the number of students in the area set to receive special education related services that it can be easy to view our son as just another case number.  While the progress reports, last year’s IEP and the new evaluations you have in his file are very good indicators of Diego’s skills and his progress to this point, we feel that it is our input as his parents that will most likely fill the gaps and answer any questions as to the services he would benefit the most from throughout the upcoming school year.  The first instinct for you as the professionals will be to point out that we are unable to objectively view our son’s case because of our strong emotional ties to his education and how every parent that advocates for their child cannot reasonably expect to get everything they want from their school system.  That is a fair argument but we as his parents know Diego better than anyone else in the world.  We have watched him struggle with his speech, sensory issues and intense fears.  Since we have seen the tactics and therapies that have worked well throughout his Early Intervention and preschool years, it is vital that we be treated as equal partners in the design of his Kindergarten program that begins in September of 2011.  At the upcoming IEP meeting I know we cannot fully express just how much we have been through with Diego up to this point in his life but we are looking forward to working with you to help mold his educational foundation.  If even a fraction of our love, commitment and hope for Diego’s continued progress shows through when we meet then I trust we will be able to come to an agreement to create the plan that benefits our son and ensures his continued success for the future.