I have good news that I am SO SO happy about & grateful for. They just passed a new amendment for the autism waiver Eli is on & he gets the ABA services until he turns 7!! He is gonna need all the help he can get & I believe this therapy is gonna be life changing for Eli. Eli turns 5 in August--so that's 2 years and a few months of one on one therapy for 15 hours a week. WOW. This gives me the utmost hope for Eli's future & him being able to learn important skills he can use throughout his life.
Friday we met for our transfer meeting for Eli--which was to decide where he will be going next year to school?! There were three options, Eli goes to regular kindergarten & gets pulled out for a little bit of resources, OR Eli goes to this one year kindergarten where the kids are a little bit behind & the teachers work hard to have the kids ready for 1st grade next year, OR he goes to Life Skills which is a class for all kids between kindergarten & 6th grade ranging from all different kinds of physical & mental disabilities/delays. They believe Eli will do best in Life Skills. There is a teacher and a few aids for the kids. He will be going to kindergarten all day. In two weeks I am going to meet the teacher and see the class. They believe this option is best because of his communication delay & I agree.
I can't believe I agree, but I do. I can't see him ready to start writing yet and him understanding everything a typical kindergarten kid can & I think he would just be left behind because it wouldn't be fair for a teacher to focus on just Eli's needs. But it's crazy that I agree--because if I was told this a year ago--I would of gone bizerk. But time has gotten me ready for this, so that I can be somewhat strong. For example, in January Eli brought home in his backpack a paper that I could use for my taxes--like a tax cut for having a kid with delays. I cried when I got that piece of paper. I didn't want it. Or the fact that Eli still is having a hard time recognizing the alphabet, can't sing the alphabet song, and still doesn't count to ten perfectly. These are all things that are a reality.
But I still have hope burning inside. I may get discouraged at times because of news like this & it seems impossible that he will ever catch up--but I believe with the therapy he will be receiving for 2 years & help from school he could be on his way.
I believe it does A LOT of good to write down goals & see them often. So here is my goal for Eli:
For Eli to be able to go to typical 1st grade when he is 7 years old. Year 2014.
"I have come to know that faith is a real power, not just an expression of belief. There are few things more powerful than the faithful prayers of a righteous mother." -President Boyd K. Packer
I read his recent general conference talk this morning & wanted to share this quote--that helps me relax about Eli's future & put my trust in our Heavenly Father.
I will write more about this goal later. I just needed to write until I felt stable and not sad anymore!! But I am always late to church so I need as much time as possible to get ready ;)
Side note Eli's progress with ABA: they are working on him saying, "I want ...." & "I see ...." Because he has a lot of vocabulary but doesn't know how to put two words together they are working on sentences!!! Which is flipping exciting--Eli saying sentences!!! So at home on his own, last Sunday he woke up in the morning & said, "I want bacon!" Instead he would usually just say, "bacon!" Then we were going out to eat & he said, "I want lemonade!" You have no idea how happy we were! He definitely got a lemonade. Then Friday he put two words together saying, "red box!" He of course got a red box. For him to be forming sentences & putting two words together is HUGE progress & headed towards the right direction.
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| Eli with his Aunt Jodi! |
K I really gotta stop writing. Right now. Enjoy your Sunday!!
WAIT-- if anyone at all knows anything or has any thoughts about the Special Ed program at Freedom Elementary, the teacher----PLEASE SHARE!! It's not a for sure thing & I would love your input.
Love,
Katie
