Big Changes on the way

Nicholas starts preschool on Monday! We had his IEP meeting on Tuesday, and he will be going to Evergreen Elementary School. He will go from 8am-10:30 am. They will teach him ways to communicate like signing and PECS, how to play with toys, and learn social things like taking turns. Two days a week, he will also get Speech therapy while at school. He seemed to like the classroom after he spent a few minutes adjusting. The school itself is very nice looking, and decorated in a Disney theme. We put it in his IEP that he will need transportation,but until we get a call from the school saying it is good to go for the bus,he will be driven to class. They said it could take two weeks for them to call us. I guess they have to get everything in order to be able to transport him. We are anxious to see what improvements this new chapter brings.

I am also starting a different shift on Monday. I will be working from 11pm-7am Sun-Thurs. I am not sure how this will affect my schedule as far as sleeping, but we will see. I will be home when the boys are getting ready for school, and here all day until after they go to bed, so maybe it will work out just fine.

Why ask for opinions????

When you don't want to hear them?? I am perplexed by this. About a year ago, I went to a bulletin board after doing some research on the internet regarding Nicholas. I laid it all out, what he was doing,what he was not, and asked for people's opinions--not just any person,but parents of kids with autism. They told me what in a sense I already knew. Based from their experience and what I posted,it sounded like Nick in fact had autism. They told me what I should do next, and offered support. I have even met with some of these ladies face to face. I went there,asking their opinions on my son, and was ready to face the cold, hard, truth.

Fast forward to a year later, and a similiar post from a mother shows up again. She is asking about her daughter,asking what we think. Her daughter has many delays, but she says that she meets the milestones "eventually". She sounded a lot like Nicholas. We offered our opinions, and said that it does sound like an autism spectrum disorder. A couple of people also told her that it sounded like she was in denial about her daughter--which in truth, it did. The mother ended up being very upset and got mad that our opinions suggested autism. My question is WHY did they even ask in the first place?? Obviously they were concerned,but mention something of a disorder,and they go crazy. I guess I just dont get it. By the time I went to that board, I had already had a sneaking suspicion that we were dealing with either ASD or some sort of sensory disorder. Maybe I was just never in that "denial" phase. I am glad I was not-because it would have delayed Nicholas getting the help he needs so much. Maybe we had learned from Michael's whole ordeal, that not knowing what is wrong is just more worrisome, and more stressful. I would rather know what is wrong,so that we can learn how to help our kids. Maybe I am just "wired" that way!