Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Alex is Back at CRC

I should have posted this sooner, but it's been a crazy month.  After that call from the OT last month I requested another meeting with the school district about Alex's placement.  I went into the meeting with the intention of making sure he was going to get the occupational therapy he needed.  I thought that Alex was okay where he was, despite the fact that the district placed him in a classroom without a bathroom, with a teacher who didn't even know what the spectrum is.  Other issues I was unaware of came out during the meeting.  There was a door to the outside in Alex's classroom, which he repeatedly opened.  Alex was being singled out by being walked through the school to the nurse's office to go potty.  They were having phys ed on a stage (which even the PT was concerned about).  To top it all off, when I asked his teacher during the meeting "What are you doing to help Alex develop his functional communication and social skills?" she just said to me with a blank look on her face "I'm not sure what you're asking me."  I don't blame the teacher, or the school. I blame the district. What were they thinking with this placement?

I was surprised when the CSE chair agreed to my request to move Alex back to CRC.  I never thought I would get him into an out-of-district placement without a major fight.  Thank God for my wonderful advocate and for all that I've learned at work that has made me a better advocate for my son.  Alex was back at CRC a week later.  He is very happy and is doing incredibly well.

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