Sometimes getting the things your child needs is hard. Last year it was great, everyone listened and agreed on the goals for Alec and how we would get there. This year I have felt pushed out, not by Alec's teacher but some higher force at work that I just can't work out and no one else wants to name.

We have our first IEP (individual education program) meeting this week and with the sounding out and questions I asked at the end of last term and discussions with Alec's teacher and aide this morning I feel better prepared. We worked out some strategies and I spent the morning doing some compics for a schedule for him and organised the creation of a work box so that when he finishes a task he can get the work box, otherwise the noise very quickly over powers him and he needs some quiet time.
To me everything is about doing the best I can for Alec. Right now I feel positive, I am hoping that by next week he will be getting the one on one time with his aide that he hasn't had so far this year, I am pushing for 2 20 minute sessions a day with 5-10 minutes of OT and massage followed by writing as Alec has very poor muscle tone and upper body strength, he has a lot of trouble holding the pencil.

He really does amaze me though, he has his own coping strategies. All the coloured pencils are in boxes together at school, and he asked if he could take his pencil box to school, I though it was to just have there but Helen tells me he has one of each colour pencil in there, he has picked out all the ones he likes and this way he knows he has all the colours and where they are. I learn something new about Alec every day.

Labels: autism, school