What's best for kids......

Nate and Noah should not be in a "typical" school.  I know this.  Tim knows this.  Anyone who has met them knows this.

Not all parents know this about their kids.  It's a shame.  Their kids are sitting in a class and not getting anything out of it.  They need an adult with them at all times to "survive" the day.  They are sitting through lessons about writing a 5-paragraph essay.  However, they struggle to write a paragraph and will never hold a job that requires a 5-paragraph essay.  Not all kids need to know the names of all the Presidents.  Sitting in classes and not learning anything is such a waste of their time.  Don't parents know that when you have a special needs child time is your enemy?

Putting kids in an alternate educational setting does not limit their potential.  It does just the opposite.  It opens so many doors for them.  My kids are learning skills that will help them survive the "real world."  They will never be able to write a 5-paragraph essay, but they may be able to hold a job that is commiserate to their ability.  Some things aren't important for everyone to know.

I don't know why parents are so opposed to putting their kids in an alternate educational setting.  I think that one of the worst things a parent of a special child can be is unrealistic.  I have always asked the boys' teachers and therapists to be very honest with us.  Putting our heads in the sand does not help our boys.  Telling a parent that their special child is doing well when they are barely staying in the room or understanding what is going on does not help.  What will these parents do when their child "graduates" from the "typical" high school and does not have any real world skills?

Unfortunately, there is a stigma on "special schools".  When my boys got into the "special school", my friends and I went out to celebrate.  I felt like I had gotten them into Harvard.  For my boys, it is their Harvard.