August 30, Benjamin wakes up sick ...and today, October 11, is his first day back at school.
It's been a long several weeks.
We've had many concerns for the present and his future.
We've made some choices that others will not agree with, but ...we have to do what we feel is best. The scary thing is, on more than one occassion those choices did not turn out to be the best. But, I can only go with what I have now when making the choice.
Front and center in my mind is the choice to hold him back after kindergarten. The idea was that he'd have an extra year to learn the academics and mature. The maturity came, but the academics did not, and because he'd been held back, while the deficits between his age and his ability were strong, the deficits between GRADE and ability were not as strong. So, the district being who they are did not give him an IEP (without a court order) until 2nd grade.
Their idea of 'early intervention' is IEP by the 3rd grade ... that's not early ... when they qualify at age 3.
He's struggled for his entire life. He's been behind the 8 ball, so to speak from the moment he was born.
Our choices now seem to be the lesser of the evils, but by no means, a good choice!
I'm sure I post more later, but for now, those choices will remain private.
As far as me and the difficult class ...we're still on the eye. For 8 weeks, we've been on the eye and vision and at least one more week to go ... I'm ready for some other senses to study!
Dr. Suess
"And will you succeed? Yes indeed! Yes indeed! Ninety Eight and Three Quarters guarenteed!"
I always think maturity is a VERY good reason to consider having a child start school at an older age.
ReplyDeleteI was held back for 'maturity' ..but the truth was I was bored silly. i was the only one in my kindergarten class that could read and count to 100 ...they pulled me out in November and started me the next year when I was functioning at a 3rd grade level ... my ability to stay in my seat to do 'seat work' went down because I was just that much more bored.
ReplyDeleteBut with Benjamin, if I'd trusted the school to provide services, I'd not have held him back. He was large for his age, and half a head taller than his classmates .. making hm significantly taller than his new classmates.
If we'd moved him up, then he'd only be 1 year behind now instead of 2 ... and this would not be as hard. They also would have had their hand forced in providing services before 2nd grade.
The reality is, we all make the best choices we can with the information we have. We don't have a crystal ball to the future to see how those choices will help or hurt.
We do the best we can with the information we have.
ReplyDelete