[tri-med] Re: [tri-family] Sending your babies to school

----- Original Message -----
From: "Shannon"
> i was really wanting her to be integrated into a regular classroom with
the help of a full time EA....but it seems that the school board thinks
she'd be better suited in a segregated classrom with partial
integration.....

I did both with Alex and then made up my mind.
Alex went to day care from the time he was about 12 months old. This was a
regular council run day care and he always had a one on one worker with him
because of his medical issues. At first this was supplied by our local
council and then we got funding through a new program with the federal
government. (his id number is 3 - I think he was one of the first into the
new programme LOL)
He started off with half a day and then over the years we built up to three
days a week.

Then in his pre-school year (the year before school) I was torn between what
to do - mainstream or a special ed unit. In the end I sent him to the
mainstream daycare 2 days a week and a special school for deaf children. He
got the best of both worlds and I got to see what I liked.

By the end of that year it was pretty obvious that with supports Alex would
benefit most from a mainstream placement so for kinder he went to a
mainstream school.

It should have worked but in reality it was the year from HELL. He had all
of the supports that he needed but he got a teacher who couldnt teach and
who didnt want him. By the end of the year I was ready to place him in a
special unit for children with physical disabilities, actually he didnt go
to school for the last 3 months of the year - I considered him to be in
physical danger at that school (the deaf unit was in this school and I
really, really wanted him OUT of there!!!)

Instead I simply switched mainstream schools. At this new school they have
even less resources - that is he has a teachers aid for the whole school
day, every day bar 2 hours. These two hours the teaher is assisted by the
itinerant teacher for the deaf. The other school had every day, all day plus
an additional half hour in the morning.

But the new school is a dream by comparison. The school may not have chosen
to have a child like Alex there but they had the attitude that they would
MAKE it work. And this they have done. He has blossomed and is doing so
well. The other kids accept him totally (parents are another story!!) and
even go out of their way to protect him. Academically he is achieving and
this week I spoke to his support teacher (the old school refused to accept
that Alex was at high risk for learning disabilities) and she said that Alex
has made such HUGE progress that she was graduating him back to his regular
class with consults only. The other kids in the support group (so called
typical kids) are still grappling with the basics where as Alex has mastered
them and just needs practice with his reading. The previous school wouldnt
even consider readinng support because in their opinion Alex was "retarded".

I am not sure how you guys grade reading, but Alex is an average reader for
second grade, or level 16 (easily) in the rainbow reading program.

Alex has exceeded my expectations, and I dont think he would have if I had
kept him in a special ed unit.

One of Alex's aids has a son with muscular dystrophy. He has always been in
a special ed unit for children with physical disabilities because she didnt
realise that she could have him mainstreamed with a teachers aid to help
with his physical needs. So this year she fought and got him mainstreamed.
He is in 5th class. While the special ed unit was "supposed" to have a
"normal" educational curricilum he is in reality way behind academically in
so many things. As someone else mentioned its easier (usually) to go from
mainstream to segregated than the other way around.

Many times the units try very hard to maintain a normal curriculum program,
but they tend to be focused on teaching to the childs need, rather than
adjusting the program so that the child can reach it. Doesnt sound like much
but it can make a huge difference.

Anyway - this is what has worked so far for Alex. Its always in a state of
flux, watching, assessing and ready to change if need be. As Michelle said -
nothing is written in stone.

If Alex had had more intense physical needs, eg PT and OT then I may well
have made a different decision. PT and OT etc are NOT addressed in our
mainstream system, only in the special ed units. And Alex has definitely
suffered in these areas, but my main focus, at school, for Alex is
academics.

So in short I would do as Michelle has suggested, making a list of the pros
and cons. But I would preface that with what "you" expect from school. What
are your priorities? Physical? Social? Academics?

My priorites are safety, socialisation and then academics and that is what I
have made my decisions on. They may change, and so Alex's schooling may
change, we plan day to day.............

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up
where I intended to be.
- Douglas Adams

Keep Looking for Rainbows!!!
Karen, Mum to Alex (7, T-18 mosaic)
Sydney, Australia
http://members.optushome.com.au/karens
http://www.trisomyonline.org

                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

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