School Update

Well, the truth is that I have been trying to write this post for the entire last 9 weeks of school.  I have begun it several times when I think things are going smoothly and then each time I have been jolted back to reality and have discontinued my writing.

Let me be clear: it is not that school is completely terrible.  It's just that I want it to be completely wonderful and it's just not.

Brendan is still doing an excellent job.  He is extremely well-behaved and he really just loves school.  His only sadness is that he only gets to go a couple days a week.

Aidan is doing quite well with all of the academic stuff.  He loves to sit at the kitchen table and do "homework" which certainly doesn't hurt anything.

Since school started they hired an additional intervention specialist and aide, so they essentially doubled the staff.  I can't complain about that either.  There is an aide in his classroom with him most of the time, but there are also 3 kids with Down syndrome in there so it is sort of necessary.

Most of the time I get a note home from school telling me that Aidan had a great day.  Sometimes he struggles with talking or making noises when he should be quiet and with touching friends.  The notes are not so fun on those days.

At the end of November or beginning of December Aidan starting to goof off with another kid in his class.  The kids' mom and I insisted that our kids be kept apart during class time and allowed to have fun at recess and lunch.  The problems both kids are having in class have escalated since then and despite out insistence it was just last week when they finally started to separate them.  Now we begin the process of "unlearning" some behaviors that have developed.  This is an example of the frustration I have felt with this school year.  I think we are all on the same page but the follow-through can be lacking.  It is much harder for Aidan to "unlearn" something than to deal with it immediately.  Perhaps they will learn their lesson on this one.

Mainly, I find that I dread the whole thing.  I'm irritated that I have to send more emails and call more meetings.  I dread opening the backpack after school and reading the note.  To be absolutely honest, this is the first "bad" experience I have had in dealing with a child with special needs in the sense that it's the first one that keeps me up a lot of nights and has me dreading many years to come. Who knew school would be the thing?  Okay, I kinda suspected it might be.  I know for certain that there are ways I can make next year better and some things that are wrong can't be changed this year.   But, you had better believe that if this crap is still going on in a few years I will be taking this to the next level or perhaps home-schooling by then.

So, there's my sob story and most likely the result of the fact that I am calling another meeting for next week.  I keep trying to look at the bright side.  Aidan is smart and is blossoming academically and socially.  He is happy at school.  Talking when he should be quiet is not really hurting anyone and he is nice to everyone.  The problems are certainly minor.  I'm sure from this post it may appear that I am over-reacting quite a bit, but I have only shared a few minor things here.  The truth is that I really like all of Aidan's school team and much of the problem might simply be related to our "newness."  I am new at this, the K teacher is new, and the intervention specialist is new in the situation we are in.  There's certainly a learning curve.  There are also a lot of people involved and it takes some work to be sure everyone is on the same page.

I hope some parent out there can tell me that it gets easier with time!!