The School Program

The meeting with the principal and his teacher went better than anticipated. I knew they would be kind and supportive; that wasn't the issue. I was just confused as to which form of therapy we should use this year. Dr. C? The school? Dr. C. AND the school? I feel as if the sands in the hourglass are pouring into the bottom quicker than we want. This year is critical. I want to utilize his time as effectively as we can. 

Another thing that was causing uneasiness for me was the words "Scottish Rite" in the document for the school intervention program. To be honest, I am not impressed with the Scottish Rite Learning Center. I have heard horror stories about the programs they map out for kids with learning disabilities. I know some parents who have spent lots of time and money and it actually ended up hurting the child in the end because their therapy practices weren't really what the child needed.

As with everything, I'm sure there are tons of great things about them. Unfortunately, I haven't heard those stories. I have only met one of the directors in the local office and I was definitely not impressed. When I tend to know more information about a specific neurological disability than an "expert" in the field, I don't necessarily think that person would be best helping us.

Back to the school meeting -- After I mentioned my concern about Scottish Rite, the principal agreed with me and told me that she wouldn't recommend a child go there either. That was a nice peaceful nugget of information. Also, she explained the processing aspect of this 2-4 year school intervention program. It's nice to hear that it's not just about phonics. I was just honest with her. I haven't seen enough success to know if it's worth it. Sure, it seemed to work last year, but due to his lack of memory, he lost it within a week. When you buy a car, you want to research. And, yes... as I've mentioned before... annual therapy costs are definitely like buying a new car.

So, here's our plan - he will be in the intervention program at the school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, while the other students do centers and reading groups. I believe that the school staff members love my child and want to help him. I really hope to see more successes this year. I was told there would be. I was hesitant to believe them (remember, sometimes I'm a little "glass half empty"). I asked them to prove me wrong. They said they would. This made me smile.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (NIV)