What it's All About.

My name is Becky. I am starting this blog to document our journey and help others. Please leave feedback!

My son is currently 6 years old. He was born 10 days early by C-section. I was induced too early and he was face up. I was in labor for 12 hours before they decided he had to come via C-section.

He was a happy and vibrant baby. Full of smiles and giggles. He was by far my little bundle of joy.

Around 3 months old he started getting ear infection after ear infection! It got to point it was like he was living with a constant infection. We decided, close to 1 year of age, that tubes would be the best option for him. Due to his snoring, they also removed his adenoids. (However, he still snores 5 years later.)

His surgery was scheduled for December 2003. Just weeks before his surgery he got pneumonia, we had to post-pone the operation. While we waited he continued to have ear infections. Once we finally got another appointment in February he got pneumonia again. This time the ER insisted he needed Prednisone. I was not given much (if any) information about the drug, other than it would help my son recover. I was unaware that doctors would not operate on my son for 2 years after taking this medication. (Now I have learned this isn't true and they could have placed his tubes anyways.) He lived with ear infections for 2 more years.

When he turned 3 years old he finally had his tubes placed and adenoids removed. He recovered quickly and seemed like the infections were clearing up and not as often.

We noticed that he wasn't as responsive to sounds and still wasn't talking like he should. We contacted Early Childhood Intervention (ECI). He started receiving Speech and Social Therapy after their evaluation. They helped me get him placed in a school for children with disabilities. He started school at the age of 3, and has been going ever since.

He was enrolled int he PPCD program and continued to receive Speech Therapy as well as Occupational Therapy. He was learning a little here and there academically. He was always a good kid there. He loved his teachers and jthe school he was in. During the summer he continued to attend classes.

However, when he was no longer eligable to go to that school (the age of 5 is the cut off) he was put in kindergarten. We enrolled him in the local elementary school. I called them before enrolling him and spoke to them about PPCD and Special Education. They assured me on the phone that they had a program to fit his needs and could continue additional testing.

When my son was enrolled they did not mark him with special education. (Even with the ARD paperwork.) The school told me he was in General Education at the last school. How was this possible? The school he was in was for children with learning disabilities only, there were no general education classes!

For 3 months my son attended Kindergarten at this school. Just after school started I took him to The Child Study Center. He was evaluated and diagnosed with Severe ADHD and Slow Learner. The school would not accept this diagnosis as it was not fromt he school district. I asked them to schedule another ARD meeting to set him up for testing for ADHD, Autism, and Sensory Disorders. At the ARD in November 2008 I was told they could not test him until March of 2009!!

The teacher my son had ignored him. She told the class to not pay attention to him and she would deal with him when she had time. She told me this to my face. He started getting sent to the office and suspeneded for every little thing. I was irate. I was told "If he cannot sit and read a book with the other children and not act up then he was better off at home."

That was my sons last day at that school. My dad had passed away during this time and I had moved back to my moms. I called the local elementary school in tears. I enrolled him the next day.

This school was FABULOUS!

He was enrolled on December 12th and we had an ARD on December 17th. Two days later was Winter Break. Within 1 week of returning to school, my son was writting his name, spelling his name, singing his ABC's, and counting to 18! Before this school my son could not even understand what the difference between a letter and number was! He loved this school and his teachers so much! (So did I!!!!)

On February 11th we had an ARD to discuss his evaluations. He was diagnosed by the district with Severe ADHD, Speech Impairment, Slow Learner and Sensory Processing Disorder. The dicision was to have him attend a different school in the district that had a program specifically for children with his disabilities.

He started the new class this past Monday, February 16, 2009. He is already showing his strength and determination.

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Thank you!