Onto school... We began homeschool this year and Christian had blossomed. After 4 years of fighting with IEP's and trying to get him the special attention and therapies he needed, it all came down to homeschool. We made the decision to pull him out of school when we were discussing his back surgery and all of his doctors appointments and it has been by far the most wonderful thing for him in the education department. Everyone who sees him on a regular basis has noticed the drastic improvements he is making. He reads everything now. I can tell you that it gets really difficult sometimes because his learning process is very dependent on "one on one" work. I am learning as much as he is as far as working with special needs. My reading lately has been focused on teaching tricks. For all of my other special needs parents and teachers of special needs children, the most effective tool I have found is from THE LEARNING WORKS - KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS - INFORMATION AND ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING.
It really gave me perspective about how I was feeling of as a parent and things that I could focus on now as a teacher.
We have turned our "antique" room into a classroom and Christian and the girls love to be in there, even when it isn't class time. I have tried to keep his schedule as close to normal school as possible and we searched and researched curriculum, but we do have lots of field trips to doctors and museums and such. I have to include doctors and we have worked all of his medical into his science work. At his last nuerology appointment he wore his doctors coat and took all of his medical tools and gave the nurses and the doctor check-ups. When they asked him if he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up, he told them all NO, he was going to be a race-car driver.
Well - I am probably writing another book here so I will take leave after one other little funny. It is getting closer to Christmas and so Santa is on the brain. Christian has asked once again for Santa to pick him up on Christmas eve and let him travel around the world with him. He wants to know how Santa gets his magic. I told him that we give Santa his magic by believing in him. Christian wanted to know how he could get the magic and I told him that he already has it. He has it with his ability to make us all laugh and smile and love. So, my challenge to everyone is to let those special people - children and adults that you know or meet, know how magical they are and how much they give you and the world. Feel the twinkle that they share when you are around them!