Freedom Elementary

I woke up 6 AM this morning, unable to go back to sleep with tears in my eyes.  Feeling bad for oneself is the worse, it's non productive & gets you nowhere.  And even when you try to think about other people who have or had a lot worse trials in their life--it doesn't help.  You still feel bad for yourself in that moment.  So this morning I am writing, it always helps me feel better, clear my head & look on the bright side of things.  Which I have A LOT to be grateful for.  Especially when it comes to  Eli.

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.

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