So, when hear the phrase Special Education, I think of children with downs syndrome, or cerebral palsy, or children with serious developmental delays. I never thought of Ella as needing special education. I have actually fought the label every step of the way (kicking and screaming). I had to get over my own issues with this phrase. So what it if it is called Special Education, lets just call it Pink Farts for all I care, the fact is, it may help her.
Ella will be aging out of the states Early intervention services when she is three. She will no longer receive the OT through them. So, we have been looking into different options. We were just going to send her to preschool three mornings a week, and have her see and OT once a week. Our current OT brought up her concern that Ella may get lost in the classroom with such a large ratio. I would tend to agree, now. Before, I would have told her she is crazy and dismissed her concerns; however, they are valid.
Special Education preschool is not the same today as it use to be. They have varying degrees. Ella is "special", and I love her all the more for it. They have a smaller teacher student ratio and they will give Ella OT and speech while she is there. My concern is that she will be around children who are cognitively delayed, and display behaviors that we have yet to see from Ella. I don't want her to be drug down.
The plan right now is to get her evaluated by IMUA's (Hawaii's early intervention program) psychiatrist and developmental pediatrician. We are also going to have her evaluated by the Department of Education to see if she even qualifies...
So, for now I say Pink Farts is the way for us. Who knows, she may benefit from Pink Farts. See, it sounds much better than Special Education.
5 comments:
for awhile when my sister was younger in elementary school she was in special education courses. It's not something that you would ever notice about her at all anymore, she just took a little extra time really learning and understanding basics. Like I said, even when you know her as well I do now, had my mom not told me that she had gone through those classes when she was younger, I wouldn't have even known any better. I'm sure she will do great and be a better person for it :) Miss you and wish you were able to come up for my baby shower in June! Hope you're doing well!
I wish I could be there for you shower, too! You are gonna be a great mommy!
Thanks! I sure hope so!
Love it! It is all in the way you look at it. I'm going to be following you, too. Came through here by initially reading your SPDN post about letting Ella by Ella. Also great! Take care.
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