I was nervous about Cameron's first day of school this year which was unusual but I think understandable. This year was completely different to the previous thirteen years. This year for the first year I knew what my son needed from his teacher and I was so worried that his teacher wouldn't be able to adapt his program for Cameron's needs.
When you look back over Cameron's school life he has achieved very little. His IEP's (Individual Education Plan) haven't really changed over the years and really school was about socialization for Cam. Even the excursions to develop skills weren't essential because Cameron is always out and about with us and knows how to behave in public he just hasn't developed the independence skills.
Occasionally I've made requests during IEP meetings, such as please don't put ripping or scrunching of paper into the plan anymore he is ripping everything up at home or please don't timetable Cameron's toileting - he's not getting it and it's placing a lot of pressure on us all. We've been open to suggestions and new ideas but in reality - we just haven't progressed. School is a great social event for Cameron.
Yesterday for the first time I was able to sit down and confidently explain what has happened to Cameron over the last four months and discuss what Cameron needs to be able to continue his development. It was with huge relief that I heard Cameron's teacher agree that Cameron needed to have the program adapted to his needs and that we needed to plan for developmental appropriateness not age appropriateness.
Cameron will be able to use his iPad at school with the communication app we've found so he can make choices and attend the Institute during school hours so he isn't going in the afternoon or evening when he is tired. Cameron's teacher loves iPads which is convenient since so does Cameron.
It's going to be a collaborative effort with meetings needing to be organized so the teacher can meet the Institute and the speech therapist meet the teacher. It's very exciting and it feels so supportive with everyone on the same page and wanting to co-operate.
It's been a great start and hopefully it will all run smoothly and continue.
Mind you as we all walked home today, as we have for the last four years, My Little Angel and I discussed our new plans and how much our school week is changing. It's made me feel a bit sad to think we won't be all walking home and to school together like we have and I'm going to miss it. MLA is growing up and becoming very independent which is very handy at this point in our lives.
And as a side note - today for the first time Cameron walked home independently beside us, he didn't charge off like a rampaging elephant threatening to fall flat on his face or walk with his hand tightly entwined in mine. Instead he walked along independently figuring out how his umbrella worked and getting wet. Life really is changing. :)
Fantastic news! So pleased to hear that the teacher and school are coming on board. So you won't need to come and borrow my classroom on weekends?:)
ReplyDeleteAlmost every time I read your posts u make me smile and fill with tears at the same time. Your joy of cam's development is evident throughout Ur posts :) xx
ReplyDeleteNot a bad idea Vicki.
ReplyDeleteI appear to have an ability to make people cry Kathy but I suspect I am responsible for more happy tears than sad tears these days. Life is pretty exciting at the moment.
Fabulous jane! What a great start to the year! X
ReplyDeleteWhat is this communication app you use? My little brother had meningitis as a baby and was left brain damaged as a result. He only uses 1-2 word phrases and doesn't relate to people.. Will this app help him communicate more clearly?
ReplyDeleteHi Man,
ReplyDeleteThe app we've found is called iCommunicate and we found another one call Yes/No. Yes/No is so simple but really useful because quite often we don't know if Cameron does or doesn't want something. iCommunicate is a really easy app to adapt to your own needs and we think it's brilliant.
There are lots of communication apps on itunes some free and some very expensive but from what I have researched I don't think you need to spend hundreds of dollars to find a good communication app. I personally think a good communication app has the option to use photos and to be able to important photos from the internet.
If you would like any more information please feel free to ask. I can give you links to facebook pages that I use to track apps and find listings of apps for specific uses.