This morning we had Alex's CSE meeting to determine his placement for next fall. After much discussion it was decided that we would try placing him in the 8.1.2 class at our district elementary school. It is a self-contained classroom with eight students, one special ed teacher, and two teaching assistants. He and Spencer will be at the same school, which I am happy about.
I'm nervous, however, about the staff's ability to meet Alex's intense needs in the classroom. Will they be able to give him a break when he begins to feel overwhelmed, or provide appropriate sensory input when he's having trouble focusing or sitting still? The speech therapist from the school assured me that she was confident of the staff's ability and willingness to do so. The placement will hopefully strike the balance between meeting Alex's therapeutic needs and allowing him exposure to typically developing peers, which he has really benefited from in his current program.
It's a gamble no matter where he's placed. We can only do our best to find what we feel is the appropriate placement for him and then hope it really is. My intuition tells me that we've made the right decision. Only time will tell.
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