I know I have not been very consistent upkeeping this blog. However, besides the shock that my last post was eight months ago, my bigger shock is how few entries I had in the whole of 2014! With a few days left of this year, let’s try to make a bigger dent in our blogging…
I briefly saw that my last post concerned feeding therapy. Well, we did not opt for inpatient therapy. Roger was becoming very upset with the way therapy was going in Grapevine. He never disliked going to OT before and we were having to cancel sessions because I could not get him into the car. So, the first big change came in the form of changing therapists and, subsequently, the approach to his feeding issues. We have gone back to the sensory approach v. behavioral. His therapist saw that he needed a lot of sensory and muscle input for him to eat and accept new textures. Roger’s diet is still incredibly limited, but we have seen so much more progress than he was making at his previous therapy.
In the past 8 months, Roger also attended ESY (extended school year) which took a bit of fighting. Unlike CA where all special ed students receive ESY, here only about 10% of special ed children receive ESY. He loved going to school, the bus ride, and the longer school day. Unfortunately, his PPCD class this year is incredibly short. In total, his classroom time ends up being less than 2 hours a day. Overall, although it is inclusive, I have not been thrilled with this year’s program.
One major, excellent change is that we obtained a health insurance policy for Roger that will cover ABA beginning January 1, 2015. This led us to re-examine various options, tour facilities, interview in-home therapists, put ourselves on waiting lists, etc. Well, it was finally our place on the waiting list and we decided the best place for Roger in 2015 is at the Easter Seals preschool. It is an inclusive classroom (10 neurotypical children and 5 neurodiverse children). He will have a BCBA overseeing his program, always making sure his goals are obtained and redefined, have ABA integrated into his full 7 hour school day. Unfortunately, they only have a part-time opening to begin, but early in 2015 it should change to a five day a week program. I hope he transitions smoothly. He has been aware that after Winter Break he will be starting a new school. I have also prepared a social story. However, his overall mood and behavior during the month of December have been so awful that I am nervous a lot can be attributed to the stress of starting a new school. I hate changes and “starting over again”, so I fully empathize with him.
December has been such a rough month and moody end of year. Here’s hoping for an easier January (and 2015 in general)!
Spinning Wheels 