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So, the transition to middle school has not been an entirely smooth one for Ben. We have been extremely fortunate in the past, in that we have loved his schools and his teachers. Ben has been happy there, and we have always had excellent communication back and forth with the schools. Middle school has been an entirely different matter.
I am trying to be generous, and to bear in mind that middle school was going to be difficult no matter what. But the truth is, we just aren't happy with the school or the teacher. Whereas in the past we used to have a notebook that went back and forth every day so that we always knew what was going on in class and the teachers always new what was going on with Ben at home, with his current teacher it is difficult to get any kind of timely information from her. I honestly have no idea what Ben is doing in the classroom. I know that there are fewer than ten students in his class, most of whom are older and who spend much of their day mainstreamed into regular classes. One would think that Ben would get lots of one on one attention. But that doesn't seem to be happening.
Case in point: Ben apparently had a very bad time at the end of school yesterday. He had to be dragged kicking and screaming onto the bus, and in fact they had to call an administrator to help with him. He cried all the way home, and was still sobbing when grandpa got him off the bus. What triggered it? Well, we still haven't heard anything from his teacher despite sending a message asking for details, so all I have to go on is what the bus driver told me plus what Ben did and did not brign home with him yesterday. He was missing all of the tapes he had brought into school that morning, and he was missing all of his CD's. According to the bus driver, the entire time they were trying to get him onto the bus, he kept yelling "tapes". So he was distraught because he had been dragged out of the classroom without his belongings, and was trying desperately to tell everyone what was wrong, and none of the teachers listened to him. On top of that, he came home wearing someone else's jacket. So the dressed him up in somebody else's clothes, marched him out of the classroom without his treasured belongings, and then rather than listening to him and trying to meet his needs, they forced him into restraints on the bus and sent him on home. Nice. I just can't imagine why he would be upset about that.
The main problem is, that is the only middle school in the area with an autism program (such as it is). Our next option is a charter school named Princeton House. It is a school especially for autistic students, and I have heard nothing but good things about it. The problem with that school is that there is no bussing for it, we would have to get Ben to and from school every day. With where our apartment used to be that would have been impossible. But having moved north to Winter Garden, it actually looks more workable now.
In a nutshell, Sara is willing to drive him in every morning. She would have to leave the house every morning by 7:15, but she would be able to make the drop-off and still get to work on time. Then I could pick him up from school in the afternoon and bring him back here to the house, where Sara can pick him up after she is done with work. For the days when I am out of town on work, Sara seems optimistic that her father would be willing to go pick Ben up.
That at least seems like a workable plan to me. There is an open house for the school next month, which I plan to attend. I know there is a waiting list to get in, but apparently it is easier to have the older kids placed than it is for the grade school aged ones. There is a good chance we could have him moved over before the end of this school year.
We'll see. All I know is that Ben is not happy, and we are not happy. Something has to change.
I am trying to be generous, and to bear in mind that middle school was going to be difficult no matter what. But the truth is, we just aren't happy with the school or the teacher. Whereas in the past we used to have a notebook that went back and forth every day so that we always knew what was going on in class and the teachers always new what was going on with Ben at home, with his current teacher it is difficult to get any kind of timely information from her. I honestly have no idea what Ben is doing in the classroom. I know that there are fewer than ten students in his class, most of whom are older and who spend much of their day mainstreamed into regular classes. One would think that Ben would get lots of one on one attention. But that doesn't seem to be happening.
Case in point: Ben apparently had a very bad time at the end of school yesterday. He had to be dragged kicking and screaming onto the bus, and in fact they had to call an administrator to help with him. He cried all the way home, and was still sobbing when grandpa got him off the bus. What triggered it? Well, we still haven't heard anything from his teacher despite sending a message asking for details, so all I have to go on is what the bus driver told me plus what Ben did and did not brign home with him yesterday. He was missing all of the tapes he had brought into school that morning, and he was missing all of his CD's. According to the bus driver, the entire time they were trying to get him onto the bus, he kept yelling "tapes". So he was distraught because he had been dragged out of the classroom without his belongings, and was trying desperately to tell everyone what was wrong, and none of the teachers listened to him. On top of that, he came home wearing someone else's jacket. So the dressed him up in somebody else's clothes, marched him out of the classroom without his treasured belongings, and then rather than listening to him and trying to meet his needs, they forced him into restraints on the bus and sent him on home. Nice. I just can't imagine why he would be upset about that.
The main problem is, that is the only middle school in the area with an autism program (such as it is). Our next option is a charter school named Princeton House. It is a school especially for autistic students, and I have heard nothing but good things about it. The problem with that school is that there is no bussing for it, we would have to get Ben to and from school every day. With where our apartment used to be that would have been impossible. But having moved north to Winter Garden, it actually looks more workable now.
In a nutshell, Sara is willing to drive him in every morning. She would have to leave the house every morning by 7:15, but she would be able to make the drop-off and still get to work on time. Then I could pick him up from school in the afternoon and bring him back here to the house, where Sara can pick him up after she is done with work. For the days when I am out of town on work, Sara seems optimistic that her father would be willing to go pick Ben up.
That at least seems like a workable plan to me. There is an open house for the school next month, which I plan to attend. I know there is a waiting list to get in, but apparently it is easier to have the older kids placed than it is for the grade school aged ones. There is a good chance we could have him moved over before the end of this school year.
We'll see. All I know is that Ben is not happy, and we are not happy. Something has to change.