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| Watermelon! |
Thomas will be THREE in late September and that means he won't be eligible for Early Intervention anymore. When he "graduates" from Early Intervention, his school district will take over responsibility for his therapeutic needs as they relate to his education. The first big step is choosing a preschool. Since Thomas is blind and has a G-tube, I feel that the best place for him to go to preschool would be the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children.
Blind children are rare; therefore, most teachers and educational settings are unprepared for the challenges of teaching a blind child. Tom will need specialized therapy, medical care and intense supervision. He is a wild and rambunctious child; he doesn't let his lack of sight hold him back from dancing and climbing. He will need close supervision or he will get hurt. I'm not talking about a skinned knee but a fall down the stairs. He also has very limited speech so he uses words and sign language to communicate. If something is wrong or bigger children are being aggressive with him he could easily be taken advantage of. He needs to be in a very well monitored situation.
Do I want to mainstream Thomas? Yes! ...Eventually. The truth is that Thomas will need intensive therapy to get him ready to learn and participate in a mainstream school. I feel that the WPSBC has the resources to give Thomas the skills he needs to enter a mainstream school. What will Thomas need for a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)? Yes, those are magic words.
Therapy/Resources Thomas requires for a Free and Appropriate Public Education during Preschool
- Orientation & Mobility Training- daily! (because he moves around everyday)
- Pre-Braille and Braille Instruction - daily! (because they read to sighted kids everyday)
- Someone trained to administer G-tube feeds and medications as needed.
- Someone trained to re-insert his G-tube if necessary.
- Speech Therapy
- Adapted Physical Education
- Monitored Oral Feeds
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Social Skill Instruction
- Daily Living Skill Instruction
I really feel that Thomas needs this type of preschool to get him where he needs to be to succeed in a mainstream world. I know I am choosing the "most restrictive environment" for him because he will only be with other kids with special needs. But for him, I think this will end up being his least restrictive environment.
It will allow him have his very different medical and social needs addressed so he can focus on building his educational and social foundation. He has a great brain in that head but he is just missing so much information because he can't see. There are so many social queues that he has no way of getting due to his blindness. A school for the blind is ready for these challenges and anticipates the needs of blind children. I think Thomas will benefit tremendously from the knowledge that his teachers at WPSBC have gained through their work with blind children.
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| How will I explain the essence of Tom? I'll just have to do my best. |
So I have been collecting a representative sample of his medical records to bring with me to his preschool transition planning meeting this month. However, the most important thing I am bringing to the meeting will be Tom! If these people will be working with me to decide Tom's future they could at least meet the guy we are doing all this work for! Wish me luck.
Best of luck to you and Tom. It sounds like you have really educated yourself and understand Tom's options.
ReplyDeleteGod bless,
Cheri Heeter
My son just had his "2" year assessment and we were told to start preparing for his IEP. It broke my heart to hear about this transition because it seems to be happening too soon. I like how you thought through the reasons Thomas should go to a school for the blind. The rational helps make thinking about an IEP less scary. Best of luck! : )
ReplyDeleteAmber
Good luck! I agree with you that the school for the blind is the LRE for Tom. The school for the deaf was my LRE, I can't believe the educational system got "LRE" backwards. ;) I know the idea is to have the kid mainstreamed in the local school, but if you're lucky, the school for the blind is already in your neighborhood. Is it?
ReplyDeleteThe local school for the blind is very close but they don't have an academic track for older children. They have a preschool and many kids stay for kindergarden or first grade to get a good braille, O&M, and other population specific skill foundation. I think he will really benefit by starting there where he isn't the "odd one out" and can really grow and blossom. They mature so much in those years and I think it would be great for his confidence.
ReplyDeleteStick to your guns. Believe it or not you have the final say they can try to convince you otherwise but you have the final say...legally so don't let them push your buttons.I agree that a blind school is good for him in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteDon't approach it as the school for the blind is the most restrictive environment. This is decided on a *per child* basis (or should be); go in with the mind set and argument that this is the LRE for Thomas. (It might be the MRE for other kiddos, but for yours, its the LRE.)
ReplyDeleteI'd also check out Wrightslaw to get prepared for the meetings (www.wrightslaw.com, I believe); I bought their _All About IEPs_ to get some base information on IEPs. There's some great materials the NFB will send you for free, too.
You can do this!!!
Yes...it is the most restrictive for now, but down the road, it will pay off immensely. I know that there are children with visual impairments that fall through the cracks everyday. I know of some cases RIGHT NOW in my area, and it frustrates me! You stick to your guns and advocate for your child. Thomas is lucky that you educated yourself and know your child's rights!!!
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