Prism Lenses, School, and Getting Ready for Minnesota

The Senior:  We survived Week 2!  It went as it should when your child is a senior.  S woke up, got himself ready, had breakfast, and started his work.  This year is about working independently and having me facilitate.  It’s what we have been working toward all of these years.  I told him this year is "Pre-College".

We watched “Schindler’s List” last Friday.  Such a powerful movie!  We spent a lot of time discussing the movie.  When my husband and I lived in Germany (1996-1999), we spent a week in Krakow and visited Auschwitz and Birkenau.  This is why we must study this...

S worked on College Algebra and A LOT of writing related to World War 2.  S knows a great deal about World War 2, so we are using the Uncle Eric book, “World War II:  The Rest of the Story and How it Affects You Today”, and the study guide.  

The first thing it asks for is for the student to write everything he knows about WW II.  S couldn’t wait to get started!  He uses Dragon Dictation when he writes (typing is very slow because of his CP).  He talked and talked and talked and talked.  Then he stopped, looked at me, and said, “I should have had a plan.”  That might have been a good idea.  He also kept telling me how he was hyperfocused!

He has finished editing his writing, so he gets to open the book and start on the study guide questions.  He is quite excited about that.  Speaking of finishing things - his summer reading is finally done!

We are still waiting on his coursework from the Hadley School for the Blind. Hopefully it arrives soon so he can get started on it.
We were out the door early this morning for S's therapeutic horseback riding lesson. He didn't even mind getting up early for it. It was great to see so many of our friends at the barn. S doesn't ride in the summer, so we had to get caught up with everyone. One of the great things at this facility is that all of us are parenting a child who has some kind of special need. It is nice for us to be able to sit and visit with each other during the lesson and share laughs, concerns, thoughts, etc. On our way home, we stopped in Williamsburg for some sweet deliciousness from Duck Donuts! And yes, my donut was gone before S even made it in the house.

The big news this week was S’s glasses came back from the lab.  He now has prism lenses to help stop the turning of his head related to his nystagmus.  He wasn’t sure at first since they were causing things to be slanted and tilting and diagonal.  He’s getting used to them, and they seem to be helping.  That is the key.  His big question is “Why didn’t anyone do this for me before?”  I will say again how thankful we are for his ophthalmologist and his knowledge (along with him being a family friend)!

Volunteering:  On Saturday, my husband and S volunteered with the NASCAR Foundation at the Richmond International Speedway for 8.5 hours.  They had a good time, but it was HOT that day! They were able to go to the race that night also.  They had a good time, but they left before it was done.  It was late when they made it home.

He is volunteering 8 hours at the Casemate Museum this weekend.  He needs to get his September hours since he is going on vacation for the rest of the month.

The Sophomore: J also survived the second week of school.  We spent time this past weekend with a calendar and his syllabi (had to look up the plural of syllabus).  It was helpful for him to get everything on the calendar.  With his 5 day/week practice schedule and his school work load, he needs to be organized.  He has always been responsible and kept up with his work; however, this will be more helpful.  It was nice for him to be able to walk into the house every day and look to see what was due the next day.  He is enjoying his classes.  PE and Spanish are his least favorite. This is his last year for both subjects!

Practice:  He has practiced 17.5 hours this week.  He has even driven home a couple of days. He is becoming more and more comfortable behind the wheel.

Coming Up:  S will be volunteering.  J will sleep in on Saturday.  We have early church Sunday morning and Sunday School starts.  

I have a Honey-Do list for my husband.  He has things he needs to finish before his shoulder surgery next month.  He will be working Saturday because Sunday he will be watching football.  
He is a Vikings fan, and we don't get many of the games broadcast here. Here is his solution. He tunes into Verizon's Red Zone on the TV and has the iPad next to him so he can read updates on the game. Sometimes he sits there with headphones plugged in and only one ear bud in his ear so he can listen to the updates via the web and the TV.

Our big task this weekend is to make sure S packs for his 3 week trip to Minnesota.  Oh, the joys of homeschooling!  This will be the last year he can take off in September/October to visit because college schedules don’t work like this.  

What he will be doing:

*He will be visiting everyone.  

*He is participating in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk at Target Field with my sister and nephews.  They are walking in honor of my brother-in-law and my grandma.  

*He will be out in the field for harvest - the primary reason for visiting at this time of year. He also likes to ride in the truck.  

*He will get to attend some sporting events in our hometown.

*He will be eating at some of our favorite local restaurants.

Since it appears everyone has something to do, you will find me on the couch with chocolate and a new book that my friend dropped off for me to read.

Linking up with:  

                                         http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/

6 Steps for Transitioning a Child with Special Needs

From the moment we become parents, our job is to prepare our children to leave home and go out into the world.  We teach them how to get dressed, to feed themselves, to go to the bathroom (in appropriate places), and how to get along with others.  We make sure they have an education that is appropriate for them.  Some children will go to college, some will go to technical/trade schools, some will get jobs.  Some children will move out right away, some children will stay home for a while, and some children may never leave home.  

From the beginning, our plan for S has been that he will attend college, get a job, and move out some day.  Through his academic years, we have realized that college is a reasonable goal for him.  Since he became a high school student, he has heard us tell him at least once a day, “You are not going to live at home forever, so what’s your plan?”  On days that he is less inclined to get his schoolwork done, he might hear this repeated multiple times.  

How do we go about getting this particular child into college so he can get a job and move out?  

1.  Prayer, prayer, and more prayer!

2.  Education

3.  Testing

4.  College visits

5.  Finding resources to assist with these plans

6.  Creating a family plan

Prayer:

Philippians 4:6-7  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Education:

In the 8th grade, we looked up different colleges and saw what they required for high school courses. Our education plan for him included making sure he had all of those courses.  There have been many times he has told us he wished he didn’t have to take ____ (fill in the blank). Not an option if you want to graduate from high school and go to college.  Some classes are optional. Science and math classes are not.

Testing:

Planning for the SAT or ACT is different for us with S than it will be for J because we have to get accommodations in place, and that process is easier said than done.  We have searched the websites; we have made phone calls; we have talked to our case manager at the hospital; we have contacted the special needs coordinator through our state homeschool organization. No one can give us much help.  ACT provided the most help on the phone.  Most suggestions are contact your high school counselor.  Sure, that is us (mom and dad).  Now we know that we can’t be the first homeschool family to try to get accommodations for our child, but it sure feels like that.  As S’s 5th grade principal told me a few years back, “You might very well be the first ones asking for this.”

We found a counseling center that would do psychoeducational testing on S and provide us with recommendations for testing accommodations.  Their results weren’t anything different than we would have asked for except that they aren’t coming from mom and dad.  Because he requires so many accommodations, we decided that it was going to become a hassle that we just didn’t feel like battling.  Our energy and his energy can be better spent finishing up his high school education, making sure he is prepared for college, and making sure the college is prepared for him.

We decided, in the long run, that S will start at the local community college where he doesn’t need to take the SAT or ACT.  Will he lose out on some scholarship opportunities?  Maybe. Maybe not. It depends how well he would have done on the test.  The time we have gained by not worrying about getting accommodations or testing, we can use to find other scholarship opportunities for him.  

College visits:

Our pediatrician, who is a wonderful man, told us when S was a 9th grader that we would want to start visiting colleges a year earlier than usual because there were so many different aspects we would have to consider.  He was right.  We are looking at facility accessibility along with academics. The office we most want to visit is the office that serves students with disabilities. Each school has one, but they are not all created equal.

Because S has decided to start at the community college, we have some extra time in our timeline; however, he has visited some colleges which has been beneficial.  He will have to coordinate transferring credits when it is time.  He has currently visited two colleges in Minnesota-Concordia St. Paul and Southwest Minnesota State university.  He would love to attend college in Minnesota because it is where all of our family lives (my husband and I both grew up there).  We are okay with him looking there because he would have a huge support network there.  Of course, looking at schools that far away means he needs to have a solid plan in place for himself to transition there.  He needs to look at many areas of his life and make sure everything is in order. He has also visited VCU in Virginia. He didn't really like how busy it was around campus, but he hasn't completely ruled it out.

Available Resources:

This is where life gets tricky.  There are so many agencies and resources out there.  Some are state specific.  Some are disability specific.  Some are dependent upon showing financial need. Some are for those who are on SSI and Medicaid.  Some depend upon the level of disability.  S falls into a very gray area as he has so many times throughout his life.  Obviously, we can look at what the state of Virginia has to offer - the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) - he is now a client.  We don’t have financial need.  He’s not on SSI or Medicaid and has no desire to apply.  His level of disability is severe; however, he does not have an intellectual deficit.  Fortunately, I am great at searching for things, and his dad loves to get on the phone and make phone calls. [Since I initially wrote this post, S has also become a client of the Department of Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI).]

Creating a Family Plan:

My husband and I sat down a couple of years ago and created a plan for S and J.  We call them the Four Pillars that they need to have to be successful adults.  It lists different categories and skills that need to be achieved to go out into the world.  S’s response was, “I can’t work on all of those.  I will work on one thing at a time.”  Not how life works.  He is the king of doing one thing at a time and doing it well (could be his hyperfocus related to ADD).  In the real world, we know we are juggling more than one thing at a time to get through life.  J was more receptive to it; however, he was younger at the time so it wasn’t as real to him.  It is a little more real now that he is a sophomore.

This just all seems like a lot of work.  If I kept them home, they could wait on me while I sat on the couch with chocolate.  Not a good idea!

First Week: Senior Year

The Senior:  S made it through the first official week of senior year.   I worked all summer to have a plan for this year, so things would run smoothly.  He just laughed at me....

His recent diagnosis of Low Vision has led us down a new path.  As we are working to get him enrolled to take a distance course at the Hadley School for the Blind, that has changed some of our plans for this year. This week his focus has been on College Algebra, English, and working on his initial high school entrance assignment for the Hadley School for the Blind.  This enrollment will allow him to take a course called "Human Eye 1" which will teach him about the anatomy of the eye, eye exams, and eye conditions.  He will follow this up with "Human Eye 2".

His focus this week was College Algebra, English (working on Brave Writer's "Help for High School", and his Hadley entrance assignment which he sent off yesterday.

One very positive thing for this school year is that S has started his work prior to 9:00 every morning which is a big deal for him.  He enjoys sleeping!  [Side note:  He was up at 5:45 this morning to have breakfast with us.] He is doing well with College Algebra.  He worked diligently on his Hadley assignment and spent a great deal of time writing his personal essay.  

For English, he is working on an Exploratory Essay for English and FINALLY completed the research.  Now, he is supposed to write. He has a great introduction, but he is stuck. Research papers are a struggle for him.  We have been working on research for years, and he has done research papers before.  He freezes every time we do a research paper.

A lot of the problems are related to his ADD.  He becomes distracted while researching and jumps down rabbit holes. He has a hard time organizing himself.  Prioritization is not important to him. He has no concept of time.  He has no idea if he's been at the computer trying to write for 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or an hour or more.  This is all compounded by his CP which means everything he does just takes longer. We have worked through the years to come up with helpful techniques.

After some frustration on everyone's part, we decided we are going to start all over.  We are going to sit with him through every step of this and talk it through with him - modeling every step with him.  We have explained the importance of writing research papers in an efficient manner since he wants to go to college.  He knows what to do.  We have a variety of writing curriculums (IEW, Brave Writer, Analytical Grammar, various books, ideas off of the Internet) hoping that one of them will have the magic solution to make research papers less scary to him.  Practice makes perfect! That is what we shall do!  

For now, we shall all take a break from this and let him regroup.  He has had some fun doing some free writes.  He wants to start a blog of his own; however, talking about it doesn't make it happen.  Maybe he can focus on getting that started next week.

Next week, he will get started on his World War II unit.  That will be fun for him.  He is looking forward to doing that.

Maybe, just maybe, he will finish his last book for his summer reading.... http://sixbottlestoparis.blogspot.com/2014/09/secret-plans-are-best.html

Volunteering:  S volunteered for 6 hours at the Casemate Museum.  When I picked him up Sunday afternoon, he said, "Guess who I saw?"  A close friend of ours who doesn't live in the area came into the museum.  He was surprised to see her there, and she was surprised to see him there.  

The Sophomore:  J had a good first week of school also.  His bus was closer to being on time than we had anticipated.  He, generally, likes his schedule.  My son, the gymnast, doesn't like PE; however, he will be done with that after first semester.  This is his last year of Spanish also.  I told him to view each time he walks into Spanish as being one day closer to being finished.  He likes all of his teachers which is good.  His homework load hasn't been too bad.  It will come!  I had more than my fair share of paperwork to complete.  I won't complain since I only had to fill papers out for one child.  I only had to pay $21 in fees.  Again, not bad.

We are all adjusting to the early morning start.  The alarm going off at 5:30 is a rude awakening!  My husband and I get up and have breakfast with J since it is the only meal we can eat with him during the week.  

Practice:  J's practice schedule changed from this summer.  He is staying at 5 days/week, but it is now Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  He didn't make it Tuesday night.  He was exhausted after the first day of school and the early morning start.  

Coming up:  We have a busy weekend planned.  My husband and S are going to Richmond on Saturday to volunteer at the Nascar Foundation tent and then attending the race that evening.  We like to support organizations that have helped us. Our family has had the privilege of attending Victory Junction Gang Camp for Family Camps and the boys have attended weeks in the summer also.

J is going with some friends to an adventure park for zip lining and some other fun.  

Our church is having Rally Day on Sunday.  Praying for nice weather so we can enjoy the service and fellowship at the park!

After this first week, I will be enjoying a good book on the couch with chocolate!

Linking up with:

His Last First Day

Today is the first day of school in our city.  I sent my sophomore out the door to catch the bus at 6:10 this morning. Needless to say, S was not starting his day at that time!

It is hard to believe that S is starting his senior year.  He is in denial about it.  We are trying to look at the realities of it.  As a friend of mine from church said when I asked if her senior was ready, “It doesn’t matter if she’s ready.  It’s coming.”

As we prepare to roll into this year that is coming, I thought it would be fun to look back at S’s “first days” of school.  He doesn’t fully understand how hard he has worked and how far he has come. His school journeys started when he was 4 years old, barely speaking English (he was adopted from Bulgaria in March 2001), racing around in his walker up on his toes, “W” sitting in class, constantly talking, and charming everyone in the school building.

First day of preschool (May 2001):  We pulled up to Fort Rucker Primary,  I got S’s walker out of the van, took him out of the van, told him, “Don’t move!”, and turned to get J out of the van. Because S was so excited about school, he didn’t listen to my instructions to not move and walked right off the curb with his walker - both hands still holding his walker.  He landed on his face in the gravel next to the van.  I put J down, picked S up, found something in my van to wipe the blood off of his face (probably a dirty Kleenex), and proceeded to herd my children into the nurse’s office. We ended up at the hospital because S had a cut very close to his eye, so it was bleeding badly.  I walked into the Pediatric Clinic and begged them not to send me to Urgent Care.  They saw S, and it wasn’t as bad as it looked.  Needless to say, his first day of Preschool wasn’t at school.

First day of PreK:  The first day of PreK was cancelled due to bad weather - Tropical Storm Barry.  His initial IEP meeting was scheduled for the second day of school which ended up being the first day.  Imagine our surprise when we found out that no one from the school had informed his teacher about his needs related to his CP or that English was not S’s first language.  Her reaction in the meeting was priceless.  She went from thinking she had a child who had a lot of issues to telling us how well he did for the first day.

First day of K:  S was so excited to get to school!  His PreK teacher had moved up to Kindergarten and had requested that he be in her class.  He could write his name at the start of school which was very exciting!  We had worked on it all summer long.

First day of 1st Grade:  At this point, S felt like he was king of the school.  The staff at this school was amazing.  He went to school using crutches for primary support and his walker for PE and Recess.  He had to walk to the neighborhood bus stop, so he and J could ride the bus home together.

First day of 2nd Grade:  S started school in California.  He was a “walker” for school transportation purposes.  He would ride in his wheelchair while we hung his walker across the back and strapped his crutches into the holder on the wheelchair.  We were a sight!  He had helped write an informational book about himself to be shared with the class.  It had pictures and explanations of the different equipment he used and why.  He discussed things he would need help with and when not to help him.

First day of 3rd Grade (CA):  S was homeschooled the first half of third grade.  We did not have a good experience with the school system the previous year.

First day of 3rd Grade (VA):  It was a great first day!  Everything he needed was in place on the first day of school:  transportation, support services, correct seating in all of his rooms.  We had given his book from second grade to his teacher prior to his first day so she could share it with the class ahead of time.  We made the decision to have him in his wheelchair during the school day to conserve his energy for academics.  He used his crutches for near walking and his walker for PE and Recess

First day of 4th Grade and First day of 5th Grade: We sent S on the bus to school and then we met him there to make sure he had everything he needed in his classroom.  Again, the various support services from the district were there to make sure he was set up for success.

The Homeschooling Years - 6th-11th grade: First days have been different for him than his brother who is attending public school.  They are much more relaxed.  Some years he has let us take a picture on the “first” day.  Other years he has told us no.  Some years he hasn’t even been here for the first day.  He travels to Minnesota in late August/early September.  Some years he has had appointments on the first day of school.  Public school kids aren’t taking those slots. One year he picked up new AFO’s followed by a shoe shopping trip to the mall.

First day of 12th grade:  That brings us to his last first day.  He is a senior.  Before we know it, his last last day will be here.  It is bittersweet for us.  He even let me take a picture of him on his last first day!

Through the years, he has progressed from using a walker to crutches. Surgery and AFO’s have helped to correct the toe walking.  Thousands of hours of PT have stopped the “W” sitting.  He still talks constantly, and he definitely has a way with people.  He learned English and uses as many words a day as he can.  He has learned so much and has worked so hard to be successful in school.  In addition to his CP, he has been diagnosed with ADD and Low Vision. Everything he does requires so much more work on his part than it does for other students.  Yet, he has persevered and taken the classes that he needs so he can go to college.

So, ready or not, it’s here!  Let’s enjoy this last year on the couch with chocolate!

Wrap Up Before School Starts

Wow! I cannot believe that this is the last Friday before school starts. I have a couple of children who are in denial about this fact. It has, once again, been a busy week. Obviously, life is normal at our house. We wouldn't have it any other way. School: S has been working a little bit on his College Algebra. He is plugging away on Brave Writer. He received his acceptance information from Hadley School for the Blind. We are waiting on his initial acceptance packet to arrive from there, so he can complete the high school entrance assignment in order to start his course "The Human Eye 1". He will be "full on" next week for his senior year! Appointments: This week consisted of 4 appointments. J went to the Orthodontist. He has had his braces on for 25 months, and there is no end in sight right now. He is still waiting on a tooth to fully come in. It has started (he's almost 16). Three of the appointments were for my husband. He went to the Chiropractor, Dentist, and Orthopedics. He is having shoulder surgery, and it was finally scheduled. He will be having that on October 29. We have been discussing the day-to-day realities of his surgery (clothing, limitations, recovery time, driving, etc.). I'm trying to explain to him that he won't be wearing dress pants, tucking his shirt in, and doing a belt with his arm in a sling. I'm not offering up my black yoga pants that were my main staple of clothing when I had a broken arm. I told him he needs to get to Target to buy himself some running pants. At least he won't have to worry about having to hook his bra. Practice: J had 18 hours of gymnastics practice again. Found out this week that he will continue with 5 days/week during the school year. He will be switching from Saturdays to Tuesdays. It will be 17.5 hrs/week instead of 18 hours. It is going to be a change at our house since Tuesdays were family night. Volunteering: S volunteered for 10 hours at the Casemate Museum. He will be volunteering on Labor Day for 4 hours since we aren't going away for the weekend. Driving: J has been getting more practice time. He has driven home from practice and to church. He also drove on the freeway. There are some crazy drivers around here. It is a different experience learning to drive here than it was for my husband and I learning to drive in rural Minnesota with our 1 set of stoplights in town. Fun times: This past Saturday I received a facebook message from friends that said, "We are in Williamsburg until Tuesday and saw how close you are. Are you free?" Oh my word! YES!!! We were stationed in Germany with this family with a follow-on assignment to Fort Rucker. We haven't seen them in 14 years. They came over for supper on Sunday evening, and we had such a fun time. It was great to catch up, talk about our Germany experiences, and share stories of who we have run into over the years. Looking forward to seeing them more often since they are now stationed in northern Virginia. Randomness: I received a text from my sister telling me that my nephew dislocated his knee the other night while dancing. I think he might be getting a "Dancing for Dummies" book for Christmas. We had a Gymnastics parents' meeting the other night. We realized that we are the "experienced" parents now. One of the younger boy's moms was asking us for advice on how to treat rips. We shared the secrets we know that have helped J. S received his time slot for horseback riding for the fall. He has an 8:30 slot on Friday mornings. That means we will be leaving our house at 7:30. He is excited about the Friday slot. If he works diligently during the week, he shouldn't have much schoolwork to finish when he gets home. That is one big reason he likes the Friday slots. Thursday night my husband and I had our Budget/writing date night. We completed our budget. Then, I was blogging while he finished writing notes to the kids who will be in his Sunday School class this year. This will be his fifth year teaching the Sr. High kids. He loves it!
As I roll into this last weekend of summer, I have realized that there are some new songs on the radio that I have enjoyed singing along with while driving (I have plenty of road time under my belt). Thursday morning while driving S to his volunteering, I heard all three. His response was, "Oh great! Sing along time with Mary!" That's right!! My Favorite Top 3 Sing Along Songs for Summer 2014: "Rude" by Magic "All About that Bass" by Meghan Trainor "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith
Labor Day weekend: This will be a relaxed, working weekend. S is volunteering at least 6 hours. He just put in for an additional shift.  

J does not have practice on Saturday which means we are having crepes for breakfast. My husband is an awesome cook!  

We have a yard project that needs to be finished before my husband has surgery, so we will be working on that. 

The upstairs bathroom is going to be painted also. If I hadn't purchased the new shower curtain 2 months ago, it probably still wouldn't get done. The whole project has become a "If you give a mouse a cookie" type project. If we are replacing the shower curtain and painting, we might as well replace ______. It was a two cart trip to Lowes.  

We are also going to a cook out at a friend's house. After all this excitement, I am going to try to find time to relax on the couch with chocolate!

Linking up with:

I want to be like these parents!

Once upon a time, a very long time ago in what seems like another lifetime, I was a Special Education teacher.  No, this is not a fairy tale.  I really was - a long time ago- before kids.  My specialty area was working with students who were Deaf/Hard of Hearing.

In my short career span (I took a long time to finish college since the Army kept us on the move), I interpreted one year, I worked with children who were Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and I worked with students who had Learning Disabilities.  In any of these positions, I had to interact with the families a lot.

I had the opportunity to work with some great families.  Some of these families were so amazing in the support of their children that I used to think, "If I ever had a child with special needs, I want to be like this family."  

Here I am.  We do have a child who has special needs, so my husband and I have tried to copy some of those traits.

*Disabilities do not define the child!

S's CP is very much a part of his life; however, we know that he is a teenage boy, first and foremost.  CP is not an adjective that describes him.  It is a medical condition that he has.  

*Stand your ground!

I applaud the mom who stood up for her beliefs in an IEP meeting even when the majority of the team felt she was wrong and tried telling her that.  She stuck to what she wanted and never caved.  Way to go mom!  [Side note:  I knew this mom outside of school.  She was a very quiet woman who didn't like conflict.  Yet, she stood her ground.]

We have had to sit in IEP meetings and go against what the rest of the team thought would be good based upon their experiences with our son.  I maybe don't have as much teaching experience as you do, but my husband and I have a lot more "parenting S" experience than the team does.  It's a matter of knowing when to stand your ground for the good of the child.

*Acknowledge my child's abilities.

I applaud the parents who wanted the school to acknowledge what their child could do rather than focusing only on what she struggled with academically.  This family knew that their child could be successful if she had an individual aide.  The school's response to this request was to offer "special" transportation when this family was clearly within walking distance of the school.  This mom dug her heels in and told them no.  The parents were successful and received the support they wanted for their child.

We have always stressed S's abilities.  We have told the schools/teams what tools he needs to be successful.  I don't believe we have ever told a team he can't do something.  We also had a school system (CA) offer to provide "special" transportation.  We asked how the other kids in the neighborhood went to school.  We were told that they walked.  Guess what?  S will walk (or ride in his wheelchair) too.

This same mom mentioned will always stick in my mind.  She became extremely passionate during one particular meeting.  I remember her husband gently placing his hand on her hand and telling her it would be okay.  She told him it wouldn't.  She came and talked to me after the meeting, and I told her I understood where she was coming from.   

Fast forward approximately 6 years, that same scenario was playing out between my husband and me in a meeting where we were listening to the most ridiculous psychologist report being read to us.  Okay, I was not so calm and I knew it.  I grabbed my husband's knee, so he knew that I was incapable of speaking calmly and nicely.  I did ask one question.  After the meeting, I asked him if I had been "rude" (I may have used another word.).  He told me, "No.  But it was very clear how you were feeling."  

*Provide information to the team.

Thank you to the family who brought information that was requested to meetings to help the team (including the parents) make good decisions for this child.  They provided input on how things were going at home.  They listened to  concerns we had at school.  We all worked together for the good of the child.  I remember celebrating so many "successes" with this family because they had worked so hard with their child and for their child.  

We have always tried to provide the team with any information that we felt would be helpful to them and their understanding of S and what he needed to be successful.  By doing that, we were helping S.  

*Hand carry records when PCSing!

As a teacher working with military families, it was great when the families hand carried records (IEPs) or any additional information that would give us a glimpse of this child until we were able to get to know him/her and receive records from the previous school.  The families who notified us ahead of time made it much easier for us to make sure we were ready to provide necessary support right away.

As an Army family, we always hand carried all information about S to our next duty station.  We called the schools ahead of time  - two of the three school systems responded appropriately by asking questions about S.  We have multiple 3 ring binders filled with information on S.  We affectionately call these books "The Great Big Book of S."  

*Show appreciation!

Families who have shown their appreciation can make a teacher's day (it can be a kind word, a note, etc.).  Most teachers really want what is best for your child.

We always made sure to show our thanks to everyone who worked with S.  There were a lot of people who made sure he was receiving an education.  It truly has taken a village to educate him! Even though he has been homeschooled for six years and starting our seventh year, we have not taken this journey alone.  S also knows the importance of showing thanks to those who work with him and help him become a successful person.  A kind word or note are free, but they can change someone's day!

I had some great experiences as a teacher, and we have had some great experiences working with teams while sitting on the parent side of the table.  These experiences have been beneficial to us whether dealing with schools, therapists, or doctors.  

I will be on the couch with chocolate as I sit here reflecting upon the wonderful people who have crossed my path to help me and my husband become strong advocates for S.

Linking up with:

http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/

Weekly Wrap Up: School for the Blind and Other Stuff

It's been a busy week as usual at our house.

School:  S has continued working on Brave Writer's "Help for High School".  He has also been doing some College Algebra and German IV.  

He is working on a Nutrition course also.  He has watched the movie "Super Size Me."  Yuk!  He is doing an experiment with McDonald's food to see how long the food needs to sit out before we will see any changes.  My husband and J went to McDonald's Sunday afternoon to get a cheeseburger and fries.  They came in the house and were telling us how nasty the food smelled. I told them it is two things:  1.  We rarely eat fast food.  2.  The last time we had McDonald's French fries in our car (almost 3 years ago) we were in a bad car accident, so we equate the smell with the accident.  So far, there has been no change in the cheeseburger -gross! There are a few fuzzies on the fries.  

S has also applied to the Hadley School for the Blind to take an online course, "The Human Eye 1". He will eventually take "Human Eye 2" also. We felt these courses would be beneficial in helping him to advocate for himself regarding his vision issues. They also have some other courses he is interested in taking.  We feel we can compile a "Life Skills with Low Vision" course through various courses they offer.  We will see if he has enough time to get through all of that before the end of the school year.  

Miles Logged: My husband and I drove 508 miles this week shuttling the boys to volunteering (S: 8 hours, J: 6 hours) and gymnastics practice (18 hours).

Driving practice:  J has now driven some longer distances.  He drove home from practice on Saturday, and he drove to church Sunday afternoon for Youth Group.  

Spotz (the dog):  We have a dog who is a Dalmatian/Pointer mix.  He is 13 years old.  He is slowing down.  The other night we were all out for a walk with him, and his back legs gave out while he was trying to step up into someone's yard.  We were able to get him upright, and he made it home.  He went to the vet the next day.  Fortunately, the vet feels it is arthritis issues.  He prescribed an anti-inflammatory medication, and Spotz was up and down the stairs in the house without any issues.

Blogging:  I had a writing date with my husband again this week.  It’s nice to get away and enjoy quiet time at Starbucks.  My husband is quite funny.  I write about transitioning our son.  He writes about the funny moments in our life.  If you feel inclined, head over to his blog to enjoy some of these humorous moments (http://sixbottlestoparis.blogspot.com/). There's never a dull moment here.

We are gearing up for the last week of summer vacation.  As of this writing, there are only 3 appointments scheduled for next week.  We will see if that changes.

I will be enjoying this last week of vacation on the couch with chocolate.

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