I think I have hit on the source of Adam's problems at school. He doesn't know how to handle other kids annoying him, so he lashes out. This can be corrected in his current location. Yay.

Wonderboy just had a meltdown because something didn't go as he expected. He screamed, yelled, jumped up and down and ran around the room. I talked to him and told him I know he was disappointed and it's ok to be upset and he could sit down until he calmed down. And just like that, it was over. Why is that so hard to do that at school?

Me: You sure have this place in a mess. Adam: You sure love me.

Is that going on your blog?

Adam: Happy Birthday! Me: It's not my birthday yet. Adam: Oh, I ruined the surprise, didn't I?

Me: I didn't raise a liar. Adam: You raised Ainsley.

Me: When am I going to get your report card? Adam: Just so you know, I love you.

This mediation process is affecting my sleep. I start to take a nap, then suddenly wake up, wondering if I remembered to call someone or do something. I don't know. I don't know if I'm doing it the right way. And it's too important not to.

You would think a 2 hour school delay due to weather would be welcome to an 11 year old boy. Not so if that boy is autistic. This is a change to his normal routine, and he is already complaining. He needs to know exactly what to expect at all times and even though he is smart enough to understand it, he gets a mental block any time there is change to his routine. We'll get through it, like we do everything else.

There will be a pre hearing conference call Friday with the judge, the mediator and myself. I like this because I can explain my perspective without being told how wrong I am. I'm still working on securing an attorney in case I need one, should this end up going to due process.

I spoke with the special education director today. She called to tell me that the school system will have legal representation at the mediation. I made a few calls and was told that it wouldn't be necessary, because they aren't allowed to speak at those meetings. I just hope I can line up an advocate for that day.

It's hard being a single parent. It's also hard being an autism parent. Put them together and it's a recipe for a lot of stress and anxiety. I don't always handle things well, but I will always always push for Adam's right to an education, no matter how intimidating those IEP meetings can be. 

This school year has been a rough one so far, and I am not seeing eye to eye with the special education department in our district about some very important issues. What began as mishandling autism meltdowns morphed into behavior issues that includes screaming, rolling on the floor, cussing, and throwing things. The solution to this has been to suspend him. Adam saw this as an opportunity to go home.... every day if necessary. Now we are looking at moving him to a higher grade level school where he won't have the opportunity to attend regular classes with his friends. I was told I have no choice but I am going to do everything I can to keep this from happening. 

And then I will breathe again.