Eun actually showed up this morning for Finn's regularly scheduled weekly PT, as she had not yet been notified by our SC that we had decided to decrease therapy. I explained to Eun what we have decided, and why, all the while thinking that she would lay into me for not doing what's best for Finn, and instead, she was completely supportive. She confirmed so much of what I already feel - that therapy shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all approach, that it has to fit in to each individual family's lifestyle and philosophy, that there are no guaranteed outcomes with lots of therapy vs. a little, and that nobody knows Finn or has his best interests at heart more than we, his family, do. She is completely willing to come over once a month to give us some direction.
And I talked to Amber, our SC, on the phone later in the morning, and she is fine with us decreasing services. Although I sort of expected a lecture from her, I also know that with all the budget cuts, she might be okay with our decision for that reason alone. Whatever her reasoning, she seems to support our decision and she assured me that if, in a few months, we feel that more services would be in order again, there would not be any problem with that.
She confirmed what Andres, the OT, said the other day, that he is only taking on weekly clients at this time. She asked me if I wanted her to find another OT who would be willing to come out once a month, or if I'd rather put OT on hold for now, and I opted to put it on hold, since I really haven't seen a great benefit from it for Finn anyway.
I feel really relieved about all this.
In other news, last night was Back to School Night for Joey, who is now a second grader. His teacher was explaining to the parents how all second graders are screened for the GATE program. GATE is Gifted and Talented Education - it's the public school program in California for "gifted" students (Kevin went through GATE) that begins in the third grade. Anyway, so the teacher is explaining this to the parents, and he said, "GATE stands for Gifted and Talented Education, which I think is a terrible name for it. Just because a kid gets into that program doesn't mean he's smarter, and just because a kid doesn't get into it doesn't mean he's not as smart. All it means is that the kids who qualify for that program fit into a different learning profile." This struck me so much. I mean, this could be applied to kids like Finn, too, you know? Retarded? What the hell is that, anyway? Doesn't it really just mean that they fit into a different learning profile? I like this guy. This is someone I'd like on our side.
And yet in other news, when I went to pick the twins up from kindergarten a little while ago, I saw a little girl on campus in line with some other kids. The little girl had Down syndrome. I had been told that there is a first grade girl with Ds attending our school in a regular classroom, so this must be her. Of course she was adorable. I have no idea what her story is or how it's going for her at school, but, I'll tell you, seeing her there made me feel really good.
9 comments:
I am glad the guy at your school approaches the GATE program in that way since I have heard many times over the past year that GATE is in fact "special ed" for kids who are bright of course but really the brightness is not what gets them there, it is their different manner of learning things - but so many teachers/parents act like their GATE kids are "better" than the rest of the kids, more primo or something... in fact I think one of the guys at our school is like that - ugh...
So glad things are turning out great for you guys :) And the teacher sounds really cool. Can you book him in to have Finn in a few years?! LOL!
Yesssssss! We all learn differently, and somehow we got mashed into this school system where kids are expected to sit there and learn stuff. I'm dxed as ADHD, but all it really means is that I learn hands on, and I listen better if I have silly putty to play with.
So glad things are falling into place for you, Finn, and your family in a way that best meets your family's needs. And I love the "different learning profile"... I teach at the graduate and undergraduate university levels and I'll tell you, EVERYONE has a different learning profile... even doctoral students! It doesn't mean one person is inherently smarter than the other, they each have specific needs so they can thrive. THAT'S normal :) (maybe I should write about that for Oz Squad ;-)
Glad it's going well with the therapy choices and everyone is supportive.
Ah, "gifted" programs. I like the idea, but hate the process of getting kids in them. I was in "gifted" programs all through grade & high school. Doesn't predict success in real life.
Okay, two of my word verification bars today have been "luver" and "schitr"...very interesting. Anyway, I love this way of looking at things...that we all have different learning styles and strengths.
I am also glad to hear the services part of things is falling into place. Good for you for following your instincts! You can always re-evaluate if need be, but my guess is you'll discover that you want help even less :).
That's a great way to explain GATE. The acronym has always bothered me, too, because every kid has gifts and talents in areas perhaps other than just academia. When I was a kid, I was in a similar program to "GATE", but it was called ELP for extended learning program back then. Our school had ELP's, "Regular" kids (that's what they were called) and special needs kids (you can guess what they were called). The school segregated the different groups and there was no unity. I still remember our 6th grade field trip to the San Bernardino mtns and I had to square dance w/ a kid who had special needs. I have no idea what his dx was. I just remember him trying to "stack the hay", which was to lift me over his head. We both burst out laughing because he couldn't lift me! I think it's so much better to include kids w/ special needs in regular classrooms, if possible, like that 1st grade girl w/ Ds. They have a much better chance of becoming friends and learning to be compassionate towards one another.
different learning profile is awesome.
I'm so glad you didn't have to put up a fight!!!
Post a Comment