and the verdict is....

I'm moving to a new school!

Mom had another marathon meeting today--Dad watched Caleb and I so she could concentrate, which was doubly hard because she's "all full of the cold" as our Scottish friends would say. I'm afraid I gave it to her, but all the kids at class gave it to me first!

Actually, that was the first order of the day: Mom got a call from my teacher at 10:30am to ask if she could come pick me up, not because I was being bad, but because my nose was running so much and they were worried about me spreading it to the other kids! Mom tried to explain things to them, but a policy is a policy and since she was already there she took me home. I wasn't that bad, and both she and I knew it, but we tried to make the best of it anyway.

Dad came home as soon as we got home and we all had lunch together. Then mom went off to her meeting and Dad and brother and I had a nap--a little too long if you ask mom, but we didn't mind! :) It was sort of raining anyway, and my nose needed the rest!

So, mom's meeting was at my new school, Merrick-Moore elementary school in East Durham. It's a little farther away from home than my school now, but it's nice and very big. Mom said she saw lots of students playing and in class, and she met the people who will be my teachers and they are nice. They are almost all very young, so they will probably have enough energy to chase me around! Mom said the routine is more structured than mine here at Hillandale, and there are lots of fun things I'll get to do there like music therapy, art, dancing, adaptive PE, signing and field trips. In fact, the first day I'm there they will take me with them to the local field where we will practice for the Special Olympics. Wow--I'll be an Olympian before you know it (but what sport to choose??)!

Mom said she was a little sad, both that I will have to make another transition and that I will have to leave my friends at Hillandale. They have truly become my friends--they hug me, they help me and they make me laugh. Mom came to my parent conference on Wednesday and she and my teacher Ms Mills talked about how far I had come in just 6 weeks. I know mom doesn't want me to leave that safe and happy environment, but she thinks the school people believe this move is for my best development and I think she trusts them. I hope to make more friends at Merrick-Moore, both in the hearing impaired (HI) class and the Autistic (AU) classroom. There are three other students in the HI class, and three others in the AU so we will be cozy and have lots of time to interact closely.

So my first day will be next Tuesday, after a doctor's appointment on Monday morning and a big cupcake party at Hillandale later that day. Mom thinks it won't be long until I'm settled in my new school, but to help things along she will take me and pick me up rather than me taking the bus. It's going to be a long bus ride, an hour each way, so she's still thinking if she wants me to do that or not. I don't mind the bus, but 2 hours IS a long time in a wee boy's life!

Well, we've still got some rough-housing to do and then it's off to bed. I wouldn't want to keep dad waiting, so I'd better go. I have an ENT appointment in the morning (at 8am!) and then we're going to a grassroots music festival outside Chapel Hill, so I'll tell you all about it next post.

Bye for now, love Adam.

Recapping the week

Hi folks, sorry it's been so long! I've just been so busy and have so much to tell as a result, that I'll get to work right away. No chatter--I'm all about business! :)

After my last post, we had a nice weekend and then mom had two worrisome days wondering how I would do at school. Well, the answer is that I've settled down a bit and they've done some different things with my school friends and I, like taking us to the playground each morning at 10am for 15 minutes, and that has helped me carry through my day better.

On Wednesday I had my appointment with the ENT, Dr. Hulka--who everyone says is great, and who had a really cool tie that I spent the whole time trying to grab! Mom and Dad were thrilled, not least because Dr. Hulka said he could help get rid of the fluid in my ears and maybe put tubes in so I can hear better. He also said I had an ear infection at the moment, and gave me antibiotic ear drops which made me feel lots better in a couple of days. I've even been eating a lot more, which shows that I was not comfortable for a while. But I try not to complain, I'm a pretty tough cookie in general!

Then we set off on Thursday morning for Asheville, NC--actually for Fairview, where my aunt Michelle and uncle Tim and cousins Brock, Wesley, Rachel and baby Maria were waiting for our family. We spent four days there, one entirely in the rain!, riding ATV's, swimming, playing, singing, cooking, running, swinging and talking. I got to know the boys (Brock and Wesley) much better, and spent some time wrestling and singing with them. They were great to take MY time to get to know me too!! Auntie Michelle also sat and sang lots with me--I even taught her "Wind the Bobbin"! I'll try to include some photos from that trip here--mom and dad also said they had a great time, even if they didn't get much sleep!

We came back Sunday night, and it was straight back to school on Monday morning. I did well, and had a couple of good days. Then this morning Mom and Dad had their big meeting at school to talk about my IEP (Individualised Education Plan) and discuss where might be the best place for me to receive services. They talked for a long time--3 hours!!--and decided that my category of eligibility (which you have to have to receive special education services) is called "Multi-handicap" or MH. That means I tick lots of boxes, and mom and dad are OK with that. So am I, I mean after all it's true! And I know everyone likes me anyway, so a label is no big deal to me.

So now with the MH label, they can provide services, but where is still the question. One suggestion is moving to a school a little ways from our house where they have both an AU (Autism) class and a HI (Hearing Impaired) class and I could split my time between the two. Mom will go visit with the EC (Exceptional children) coordinator and the Teacher of the Deaf who works there and we'll talk about if it's a good fit for me or not. According to the law here, you have to be placed in your "least restrictive environment", which is why they put me in the class I'm in right now, but this other one might be more helpful for me since I need lots of structure and visual aids, and also people to work with me and help me.

They have given us a target date of October 13 to maybe have me transitioned. I know I'll have to help mom as she really loves my class and teachers and will be sad if I have to leave! So will I, but I also adapt pretty quickly--and I know we'll go back to Hillandale for visits if I have to leave. My teacher said I can still come to the Pumpkin patch and bowling which are on the 14th and 15th of October--too bad Dad will be gone and won't get to see me bowl!

So that's where we're at...mom and dad had a long nap today after their meeting, I had a good day at school...oh yeah, and Oma is here!! She came in last night and stayed with my brother this morning while mom and dad were at the meeting. She's playing with me now, so I better go. More later--love, Adam.

Mom had a busy day

Hi folks,

I know I don't talk about mom very much, because my activities are all important in my eyes, but I'll tell you what she told me about her day today.

First, at 11am she met with a man named Steve Harper who coordinates volunteer tutors to help children of refugee families from the mountains in Central Vietnam. She didn't even know these people existed, but there are apparently about a thousand in Durham and some living nearby who need help with school work. One family has a boy about my age who also has Autism, so mom will get to talk to his mom about what that is like. She will do this on Thursdays, and seems to be excited about it. She and Caleb walked to the Duke building where they had the meeting--sounds like they got hot since it was over 90 again today!

Then at 1pm she met with a woman from Blacknall Presbyterian about being a childcare worker on Wednesday nights and Thursday mornings. She might even take Caleb and I with her on the Wednesday nights if things work out.

At 3pm she met with a lady from the ARC of North Carolina, an organisation that coordinates support services for people with special needs. Mom will be assigned a "support broker" who will create a personal needs plan for me and help mom figure out what kinds of services I might need and receive. I think she's most interested in the respite services, but she'll have to call the ARC of Durham for that. I think having a support broker is way cool! I liked the lady too, she was pretty neat and talked nice to me and Caleb.

Then mom took us to Burger King and we had a picnic in the park, since she was too tired to cook. We didn't argue, it was nicer out then and we got to play. Now it's off to bed for us all--whew!

Love, Adam