Third week of school, not so great

Avatar for googolplex
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Third week of school, not so great
1
Tue, 09-13-2005 - 8:53pm

I finally got to speak privately with David's teacher, after two weeks of school. We had an IEP meeting the day before school started, but she wasn't able to attend. David has a high IQ and can do above grade level work in all subjects, BUT he has a really hard time acting appropriately, especially in the afternoons. It was decided that he would have his own special place to go. There would be a para-professional assigned to the school parttime, who would have David as her 1st priority. She would be with him when he was sent to this place.

Well...we are into the third week of school, and David has given very few clues about how it's going. Unlike 1st grade, I don't ever see the teacher, because of the way the kids go to class and are dismissed. He seems happy enough after school, and for the first time in his life he sometimes volunteers little tidbits of information about his real life at school, like "today the teacher said we were going to learn about phonemic awareness and phonics"...end of discussion. A while back he said, "Miss Marianne doesn't show up anymore." I asked who Miss Marianne was and he said, "Some old lady who works with me sometimes." I asked what she is like and he said, "Well, she's kind of nice but she has a really bossy sounding voice."

Well, I decided to write a note to the teacher asking her to let me know how he's doing. She called me today while her class was at the library, and we talked. Apparently, she has been given very little info about David, although she knew about the AS and had a talk with his 1st grade teacher. She had a former student with AS, and I think I know who it was. The other kid's mom provided her with some books and stuff, but David doesn't fit neatly into an Asperger's mold. She told me that she was trying to avoid sending him out of the class, but in the afternoons he gets very disruptive. He spins around, sings, pushes his chair in and out, and stuff like that. She had to excuse him to go outside so that she could explain to the class that we are all unique and that the grown-ups know what's best for each individual child. Apparently the other kids are wondering why David gets away with stuff, like why he gets to leap and spin round and round making whooshing sounds while everyone else *has* to go sit on the carpet. I don't think *I* could answer that question other than to say, "Just try to stop him and see what happens."

Oh, back to the para-professional aide: The teacher said that one day, with no warning, this woman came into the class and said she was there to work with David. Apparently this woman had a rather harsh manner about her, and was more disruptive to the class than David was alone. LOL! And of course, she had no idea what David is all about. So she's gone, and now there is no aide to take David to his "private office" when he needs to be away from the classroom. Lovely.

So, I don't know what we're going to do. At least David seems fairly happy this year, so far. It's all such a pain. In makes me too worn out to even think about complaining about the fact that they watch TELEVISION (Arthur) when they go to the library. ?!?!

BTW, Nathan, my little one, just started preschool at our local parks and rec department program. He's the youngest in the class (just turned 4), and EVERY other kid knew how to sit criss cross applesauce on the carpet. Nathan cried and clung to DH (who had the day off for his bday). The teacher said she'd call if he didn't calm down, and after an hour+, she did call. We went to pick him up, but apparently he calmed down when he heard we were on our way. He managed to survive until noon, but he doesn't want to go back tomorrow. I'm sure he'll do fine once he gets the hang of it, but it felt so weird to see all those other little kids looking so experienced. I guess two years of preschool is the norm.

Thanks for "listening". :)

Evelyn

Avatar for betz67
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 09-14-2005 - 11:59am

(((HUGS))) David's teacher sounds like she's at least flexible and willing to try to work w/ him. the aide didn't sound like she and David clicked anyway!

Weston's teacher last year would send him on errands-- he is also ahead of the rest of his class but would have a hard time acting appropriately when he'd been in class for awhile. He was the designated library book returner, attendance person (he took the attendance to the office for all the 3rd grade classes last year), to ck his teacher's mailbox. The break from other children and the structure of the class was just enough to get him back into the right mindset to settle in and work again. He was allowed to do these errands by himself (having someone else w/ him even an aide would have made it less helpful for him as he need total alone time), he always followed his "rules", walk quickly, no running, no stopping, no talking to anyone (not that this was hard for him!) and due the errand and come back quickly. All the 3rd grade teachers knew him, the office staff knew him and why he was there. This year the teachers have the same option but haven't found it necessary yet. He is able to get up and change classes so he's having some moving around time and having to carry his heavy books back and forth across the hall.

I hope Nathan settles in and enjoys his preschool experience! My kids have had a difficult time w/ new experiences esp preschool at this age-- Martha is the only exception, but my best friend was her preschool teacher so that might not count! (Owen is not going to preschool this year even though he'll be 4 in December. He won't go to Kindergarten next year so I think one more yr at home is fine!)

Betsy