I want to try and give some people hope here. I was hopeless at one point, and I'm here to relay some good news. May be it can help someone.My wife and I have two kids (4.5 yo boy, 21 month old girl). Dylan (boy) has been awesome, but in some cases very difficult and delayed with some things. He started preschool in Sept of 2015. Dylan is a lovable and friendly boy, but he had some speech issues and some OT issues that other kids in his class didn't have. At this time, Dylan was not potty trained (despite all of our efforts), we couldn't really understand what he was saying, and he showed no ability to hold a writing instrument to make even a line or the letter T. It was pretty stressful for us, because he was misbehaving, and we couldn't understand 80% of what he said and we really couldn't communicate effectively. We were lost. His preschool effectively expelled him by mid-October and suggested we have him tested.Our district evaluated him and for 2 months we had a rotation of psychologists, speech pathologists and OT clinicians coming in and out of the house. My wife and I changed our work schedule around and we took vacation time to accommodate all of the evaluations. By Dec 2015, the district had set him up in a special school near us and Dylan has his IEP. I cannot say enough how much this school, and the efforts of all of the Clinicians and TAs has helped him. It's been night and day. He was potty trained after the first 2 weeks, we can have a conversation now, and while it's sloppy, he can write his name. He has friends now too! Upon the first parent-teacher conversation in March, his teacher stated that Dylan was often a "leader" for his classmates. We asked him if he was sure we were talking about Dylan.Last summer at just about this time, prior to any preschool, my wife and I took him to Sesame Place. He wouldn't touch any of the water rides, and refused to go any of the other kids rides. He sat through an outdoor 'performance', but he did so clenching me and wouldn't get off my lap. He was a little timid meeting Elmo, but he reached out his hand and petted him. It was kind of a bummer for me overall because it is such a great place for kids and I wanted him to have a great time. I was excited for him. He smiled and laughed, but didn't want to experience 80% of what the place offered. Back at the hotel in Philadelphia, I couldn't get him into the elevator without him having a major "freak-out" episode. We eventually took the stairs, after attempts at carrying, bribing, stranger help, friendly faces, candy from the employees, etc.A few days ago we returned from Dutch Wonderland, which for those who don't know, is an amusement park for kids in Lancaster, PA. They have kid-friendly water rides and pretty darn good (and fast) rides like roller coasters and bumper cars. As we made the 4 hour drive, I silently wondered what he'd do there. I figured not much, and we'd spend a lot of time at the hotel. I brought a bathing suit just in case Dylan felt like checking out the pool. Not that he'd swim, because he hates the lessons we've given him for the last 2 years...but I figured, I could try. He and I have a unique relationship. I'm his Dad but I'm also his friend, and I figured I could try and coax him into the pool in the afternoons.We arrived at Dutch Wonderland and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was like he was a different child compared to 12 months prior at Sesame Place. Within moments, he initiated going on water rides, water slides, laughed hysterically as we went on the bumper cars. His favorite ride was a roller coaster that was rough even by my standards, and I like roller coasters! He had a fantastic weekend, and he will not stop talking about it. We got there at opening, stayed all day and left when it closed. I could not believe how much initiative he had, how much fun he had, and how much of a 180 degree change this was from a year ago.I believe that because of his school, and because of the help he's getting, he's learned so much and he has gained a lot of confidence. In Oct of 2015, I wasn't happy that he was asked to be withdrawn from his original preschool; I was quite livid at the time. But it is perhaps the best thing that ever happened to him, at least thus far.If you have any concerns, or if you feel like something isn't quite right, ask your pediatrician and then approach your school district. I am so glad that the events unfolded the way they did, and my only regret is I didn't make the right moves earlier. Not that I knew what the right moves even were, really. I don't really know what I'm doing. I just take each day as it comes and do what I think is in his best interest. I'm not always right.Sorry for the long post. This was supposed to instill some hope in you if you feel like you're at the end of your rope, or if you feel like nothing is working even when you're putting in 110% effort. I was frustrated. I was irritable. I was out of answers, but never short of questions. I felt like a failure. It put a stress on my marriage. But things are turning around. It's quite a different world here compared to a year ago. And I have no one to thank more than the district and the school he is in.Hang in there and get involved as early as you think you need to.I hope this brief story of the last 12 months helped you. May be it made you smile, may be it gave you hope. May be it made you realize you can make a telephone call tomorrow morning.-Jeff(PS: We never made it to the hotel pool! We were having too much fun!) via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2az2QIc
No comments:
Post a Comment