We received a letter this week and had a call from the Head of Special Education at school number 2 confirming that J has been accepted. He’s due to start an Early Childhood development Program (ECDP), this is a pre prep program at the school designed for children with disabilities, including Autism. It helps them to prepare for school and assesses their needs.
Whilst he is attending the program an Individual Education Plan, (IEP), will also be put into place. This is a plan with written goals for J, to be achieved over the next 6 months. These goals will be the major focus for J’s learning based on his specific needs.
Neither were things offered or discussed by school number 1 so I’m already feeling very confident that school number 2 will be putting J’s needs first and I’m feeling hopeful that J will have the support he needs whilst at school to achieve great results, (have I mentioned before how smart he is?) :)
He’ll start after the school holidays, there are only a couple of weeks left in this term so not much point in him going for a few sessions and then having a long, (2 weeks is a long time for a 4 yr old), break. I would probably have all sorts of difficulties getting him to go back, at least this way he’ll have the whole term to settle and get used to going.
I have mixed feelings about him starting at the school. Whilst I’m very excited about this new stage in his life, I’m also worried about how he’s going to cope with yet another change. His quirks have escalated in the past couple of months, in fact I don’t think things have ever been this hard with him. I think this is due to all the change he has to try to cope with over the past 6 months. We’ve moved house and country, he’s started daycare 2 days a week, there was the container arriving, all of the appointments with doctors, schools etc, he had alot of goodbyes and also lots of new hellos………… even the schoolies attending his daycare centre during the school holidays, (which are coming around again!) had a negative effect on him. So with all the change he’s had in and to his world this year I wonder how he’s going to cope with yet another change.
I know it may be hard to deal with this new change in his life and the quirks that may develop due to it but I hope that we can help him through it all because ultimately I think this will be a very positive new stage in his life.
In the meantime we have 4 weeks to start preparing him……………and ourselves!
Great news on being accepted! I knew transitions are very tough for our kids, but I just wrote a post about things to help with the new school year transition. J is young yet, but you might find something pertinent. Good luck! Aspergers: A Mom’s Eye View http://asdhelp.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/ease-transition-anxiety/
Joanne
Hi Joanne, thanks for your comment and your link, some very useful tips that I will be using when the time comes. We have visited the school, met the teacher and head of the program and they took us down to the classroom that they use, they even showed us the toilet block! Might try to arrange another visit just before he starts. Thanks again
So glad to hear you got accepted! I hope he settles in well when he starts. It’s a scary thought isn’t it? Max is hopefully (keep your fingers crossed for us!) going to be starting nursery at the beginning of Nov, and part of me is really excited, while the other part of me is nervous of how he might/might not cope there. Time will tell I suppose eh?
Good Luck with Max, I know it sounds awful but the 1st time I left J at nursery I was convinced he wasn’t going to cope and he would attack someone for almost no reason! but he coped and I think that’s because of the wonderful staff there. I hope he make the same “connection” with some of the staff and/or kids at the school. Fingers crossed all will go well for both of our boys x
That’s fantastic news!
So happy for you all. Wishing you all the best!
Thanks Fiona
Whoop whoop!! That’s excellant news, this school sounds like it is really geared towards helping J and I think/hope they will bring out the best in him. He’s a truly gorgeous little boy with lots to offer, they will be very lucky to have him!! xx