Nate's new school

I am so excited!!! Next Monday, Nate will start at his new school. It's called Southview and all of the students are special needs. He will FINALLY look like everyone else in class. For once, he won't be the one that's different.

This decision was a long time coming. Since Tim and I both teach middle school, we agreed years ago that Nate would not go to middle school. It was very hard for Tim to agree that Nate should not attend school in the building where he teaches, but we know what is best for Nate. I started the ball rolling on this last summer before Nate started 5th grade. We started the meeting on this in March.

Getting him in was not an easy task. First there's the packet.....40 pages that the current teacher and parent fill out together. My friends also helped me write an essay about Nate and why he belongs in the special school. We had 3 meetings. In the first meeting a representative from Southview and a representative from Tim's school attended. Their purpose was to determine if the regular school could academically offer Nate everything that the special school could. It was long and difficult. At one time I just looked at the guy from the special school and said, "Just take him. Take him now, because if you tell me no I won't quit. I will keep requesting this until you give in." The fact that Tim and I teach middle school worked in our favor because we know how things operate.

The second meeting involved a tour of the special school. When we walked in there was a boy in the office flapping his hands like Nate does. I also saw a teenage boy walking down the hall holding hands with his aide. Finally........kids that looked like Nate! They also had adult size playground equipment and a store where Nate can practice money and buy snacks. Since Nate still needs help in the bathroom, it won't be a big deal if an adult goes in with him. There were Elmo books in the library.....that's right up Nate's alley. After touring the school, there was no way in hell they were telling me no.

The final decision was finally made at the third meeting. The decision was made very quickly and was supported by all of the adults who serviced Nate over the years. There were tears from his adaptive pe teacher who has had him since kindergarten. She agreed that sometimes the "least restrictive environment" isn't always what is best. We then wrote the new IEP. I was surprised how the goals went from being educational based to being life skill based. That's what I have wanted all along. I have always said that I am not concerned about now, but about 10 years from now.

It was a long and hard fight. I wish it didn't have to be. I fight so much that I just wish something could be easy......just once.....