End Of My Rope
I’m having a really tough day today. Both kids have had meltdowns, it’s a Monday, and my plate is overflowing at this point. While escaping the chaos for 10 minutes in the shower, I had a revelation and a light bulb go off in my brain. The short version of the idea, to make a school for autistic kids in our area.
I think to myself, I’ve dove into the deep end of the autism ocean, but actually it’s not a bad idea. It’s what we need. Seriously. How in the world do I go about doing this. I am one person. An autism mom with no money, and no time. So now my brain is swirling with ideas.
The bottom line is this: The school systems are failing our kids. Autism is a growing disability, with the last numbers being roughly 1 in 70 kids having autism. We have disability schools in our area. One for elementary and one for middle school and high school. These schools house all disabilities from autism to down syndrome to severe MR. These schools are full and have long waiting lists to get in. Our school district has specialized structured learning centers inside regular schools for the growing autism population. These classrooms are full as well and are not geared enough in the right autism direction. There is not enough support for these schools to handle the kids with autism when issues arise. Not enough one on one, associates, trained autism teachers and not enough support for behavior interventions. We are a prime example of this lack of service. Forced to home school Dustin because of it and have a mess on our hands regarding John’s classroom as I type this.
So many parents not only in our community but around the globe are forced to home school their autistic children. We shouldn’t be forced to do this because of lack of options. It should be a choice.
I can’t even count how many empty schools sit in our town, because of revamping and remodeling. There are many. Why in the world couldn’t they open one of them up and house all the autism kids in the district there, or even in this region if parents are willing to travel. Get special trained staff, we have an agency here called The Homestead that could do the training, and there we go.
I’m sure MONEY is first and foremost an issue with this idea. There has got to be funding somewhere to cover this I would think. Schools get funding for special education don’t they? Gear it in an Autism school instead. I am sure there are private entities that would consider investing in this idea. I don’t know?
So there I am, I have an idea. I need to write some people and see what I can come up with. I know I’m not the only parent who thinks this should happen. I guess it won’t happen unless someone steps up to the plate. Batter up! It is a long shot for sure, but I look at it this way, what have I got to lose? I am already home schooling my child.
*image from Autism Snags and Tags
My son has a 2 hr. bus ride because there are no supports for him at the local school. It is 5 miles from here, but the other school is less than a 1/2 hr and they bus him to the other side of this county, then to the other one backtracking 10 miles or more. It is too bad all school don’t have something for autistic kids. Whats wrong with schools now they used to have help, a paddle sometimes kept kids on track that had issues, just a wake up call would help my son, but the social services has taken away the power to do anything, that is one of the reasons that kids get out of hand I believe that a little paddling would help him immensely, but instead we have all the bs to put up with to make social services jobs.
I don’t agree with paddling. My kids would not understand what you were swatting them for and would likely swat you back. There is usually a reason behind the behaviors that autistics have. And addressing the behaviors appropriately and positively have better effects for a good outcome or compliance. Addressing behaviors negatively with my kids just brings out worse behaviors, increasing the ones already present.
That’s a long bus ride for you son. How does he handle it? My kids wouldn’t do it. I would have to drive them there and back.
My son got a ride to school from me, to cut his ride to about 30 min. from the local school, but he acted very badly one weekend, his usual laying around, not doing any chores acting aggressive when I tried to get him to do a chore, to the point I thought I would have to send for the hospital. He is so much better if he gets out or goes somewhere, but almost never will! I can’t understand him. So I stopped taking him to school. He gets on the bus just fine, but he’s very tired when he gets home. He can act well, but then flips and I’m not perfect myself and its very hard to say and do exactly the right thing, its exhausting. He can do better, if someone else talks to him in a very strict no nonsense manner, they can get through to him, and even though he does mouth off, he does get it, after my nerves are shattered. Its just so hard. Its so sad that this is the way it happens for him to be reasonable. His dad speaks to him in a passive manner when I ask for help, so my son doesn’t get it at all.