Ian's disabilities became obvious when he was about 2-1/2. He'll be 11 next month, so a little math here... I've been trying to find the right place for Ian both academically and socially for nearly nine years. And I'm a little burned out.
His perky new teacher who is straight out of college tells me that I should be reviewing Ian's homework with him every evening, instead of letting him work independently. (Can I tell you how much fun it is to get a parenting lecture from a 21-year old?) Uh, yeah, no. Instead, I'm researching appropriate summer camps and after school activities.
It's not easy to find the right programs for Ian. It's hard to find any activities that are geared to special ed kids. Often it involves a lot of driving and networking and phone calls. The fact that Ian is cognitively strong, but has a language disability, makes it even trickier.
It's hard to find the right activities that are geared to his specific type of disability. Some programs are aimed at kids who are extremely disabled and are much older. A few years ago, I enrolled Ian in an excercise program, and those huge kids - babies with the bodies of adults - were a little scary for Ian. One kid pinched him and he cried. Ian doesn't want to deal with kids who aren't cognitively at his level. Other programs are aimed at kids who have ADHD, who fly around the room, and the adults don't know how to talk to someone with a language disorder. Even among disabled kids, Ian is very unusual.
My desk is covered with applications and brochures right now. Time to make the donuts.