Today was the transition meeting for my buddy to enter preschool. Our Birth to Three team was there to inform my buddy's teacher, program coordinator, occupational and speech therapist from the preschool where he stands in his development. The preschool will use that information to set up an individual plan for him. They asked some questions and answered the few questions we had.
In the beginning of October, we will go back for the PPT where his plan will be outlined. Then my buddy will spend some time in the classroom with one of his Birth to Three providers while I hang in the hallway. After some observation, his plan will be finalized and my buddy will be preschool bound mid-October.
It seems like so much for one 3 year old boy. I am grateful that he will have so many opportunities. I think about not so long ago when he would have been denied an education and more often than not, sent to an institution with no hope for his future. I really hope that I never have to battle the school system like so many others have. Perhaps it's naive of me, but I believe that most Special Ed teachers are there for the right reasons and do have my buddy's best interests at heart. (Maybe having my Mom be a Special Ed teacher led me to that conclusion.)
Of course, I still have my concerns. My buddy's safety being at the top of the list. When we visited the classroom, they had the doors wide open. There are so many bins to dump and things to throw and smaller toys than what I usually let him near. I wonder if he will be able to communicate with his teacher (who only knows a small handful of sign language) and if he will not care or if it will lead to more frustration.
For now it all seems like a lot to grasp. I think I need to start making a list of questions to bring with me in October. For some reason, I have this mental image of my buddy at school - he separates from me with no problem, is playing and having fun, and then all of a sudden... he wonders where Mama is and doesn't know what is going on or when I will be back and no one can understand him. Who will hug and kiss him when he falls down? The hardest part of parenting is letting go.
My son started school last September and I too had many questions, concerns and anxieties. It was difficult the first week of school because he was asking for mom. Second, on the third day of school, my son went missing for a few minutes when he walked out of his classroom and followed another class out to recess. Third, my son was in and out of school due to communicable sickness from being with other children...by the end of October until January, my son missed so many days of school that we ended up having him "taught home bound" until the end of May. When he returned to school on May 2, he ended up with strep & then hospitalized two weeks later. In all, school gave my son many opportunities & it made him really happy to be with other children and teachers. The only thing that was unbearable was the fact that I desperately missed our moments together. Good luck!
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