Fighting for your child...

I think learning to be an advocate for my children has been one of the hardest parts of being a parent for me. I feel very overwhelmed trying to call on Rachel's orthotics, schedule her PT, OT, FT, and DS visits every week. I used to have to do this for Harmon also. Rachel had her diagnoses of Cerebral Palsy shortly after Harmon transitioned last year to the Public Schools DD-Pre Program which is designed for kids who need help with certain areas. That meant rather than coordinating several different services I just had to focus on getting him to school.

Harmon Last Year on his First Day

Before he started pre-school he was struggling. He has something known as Sensory Integration which makes organizing thoughts very difficult. Once he started school things just got better for him. He got the help he needed to start organizing his thoughts and learning to self-regulate. His speech started coming along and now he is just totally talking up a storm. So when school started this year I was so grateful. He had some serious struggles in his Summer program that didn't have the extra help. I knew that once he was back though he would get back on track. That is what happened. The school year started about 3 wks ago and it has been really great. Until Friday...

Harmon this year on his First Day

Friday is when I met to renew his annual IEP (Individual Education Plan). Basically it's the economy. The schools are cutting back on services for kids with special needs and so students who qualified once are not qualifying now. Harmon might be falling into that hole. The problem is that he has made so much progress (which is good) but not enough to just be main-streamed at this point. I think this is where you get the term "falling through the cracks," comes from. Suddenly I'm fighting for this spot that I know he needs (we live in a small town and so there are not private pre-schools that really focus on what he needs). I also am fighting for something that gives him such joy. He loves his teachers and his friends. If I just had to tell him, "sorry there is no school tomorrow" it would break it his heart.

I don't know how this story is going to end. We are looking into our rights and until things are resolved everyone has agreed to halt everything. I'm also coming up with a plan B, pre-school wise and private services. Whatever happens I will fight my hardest. I think it is affecting my choices about what to do with Rachel. I don't know if I have it in me to fight tooth and nail for 2 kids. I guess this is just life. Part of being a mom is fighting for your kids, b/c they don't have the voice in these sort of matters. I just think when I feel like I don't want to do this anymore I remember that we are very blessed to have good resources around us; and that the reward is worth it in the end if it mean our kids get what they need.