Shrimples the teacher

Shrimples and Peanut are on the couch counting lego characters in a book. 
Shrimples: "Peanut how many lightning mc queens" 
Peanut: "one.. two " 
Shrimples: "Good job you did it , now how many fin mc missiles" 
Peanut: "one , two"
Shrimples: "good job Peanut you did it again"

This goes on for a while ( pointing and counting and lots of praise)

Shrimples: "Peanut what about sarge?, Where is sarge? Get sarge"
Peanut: Gets up goes and gets sarge (the toy) and brings it to 
Shrimples.
Shrimples: "Ohh yah he did it, (laughs) he went and got him, I mean point to sarge"
Peanut: points to sarge on the paper
Shrimples: laughs "I need to be more pacific don't I Peanut OHH more pacific ( laughs) sorry"


We have had a hiccup with Peanuts new school suggesting he maybe have to many compliance issues. Of corse he does he has Autism and it was a brand new place with new people and he was not 100% well. Im considering pulling him out of school and getting Shrimples to home school him. LOL just kidding. 

siting down to be told your son has compliance issues is not a surprise to me, hearing that he may not be eligible for the program because he has these issues is a huge surprise.
 I thought it was the point of the program thats why I wanted him to go to that early intervention school, They are firm and will work with Peanut on his compliance so by the time he hits year one in 18 months time he will be able to comply in a mainstream school. 

Peanut complies great at home and out with us  he does well at therapies now  ( not great but huge growth)  and has improved greatly at his language school.  Its not a case of can't comply its a case of wont and I know once he gets used to the new setting he will be more than compliant. If he complied at school  he would be in mainstream already. ARGH  frustrating. 


I really dislike that word really comply, compliance, complying  sounds they are talking about a computer program or a robot! YUCK ! 

Education decision making and wine

 WARNING :  more than one bottle of wine has been consumed solely by me immediately before writing this post. Spelling and content may be erratic and insane : 

So with Peanuts ASD assessment approaching very very very fast ! 2 days actually.  I thought I was dealing with it but Im not sure if Im ready...... having a little freak out here! crying on and off and Im not sure why. WHY am I doing this he is the same kid he is  PEANUT  magical peanut, amazing and wonderful, any way .....  

Its nearly 1 am here and we are torn, Peanut attends a language development centre (LDC) for kindy every Thursday and Friday. He is doing really well, we have Therapy focus (a not for profit)  come in every 2 weeks and work with the school and peanut and he is doing well, better that any one expected. 

beginning of the year the teacher put peanut in what seemed like the "WAY TO HARD basket" but since has fallen in love with him  (like everyone does.. its the huge blue eyes and heart of gold that does it ) He is doing much better and initiating social interaction with peers (after 6 months) he is by far the (this is a hard word)  worst .....  no no the most in need in the class (Im pretty sure he is smarter than most of them). He needs one on one help and so we have looked into a local education support centre, early intervention centre, where he would attend with 5 other kids with varying degrees of ASD on thursday and friday. It seems like a wonderful place but peanut is happy where he is so why fix something that does not needing fixing right ????!!!!???? well  Im not sure! 

Peanut if and when he gets his ASD DX is no longer eligible for the LDC so he will have two options mainstream 25 - 30 kids with an aide 0.5% of the time or education support centre (ESC) with 6 kids 1 teacher and 4 SNEA ( special needs education assistants) and alot of visual aides, with part ABA. 
So question is do we let Peanut finish the year at LDC or move him on asap to ESC? Ive asked teachers, daycare workers, colleagues that used to be ESC teachers and EAs, therapists, family and friends and "most" say leave him where he is. But if he is going to change schools why not now?? if he changed now he would be in the same class and with the same teacher that he would be when he goes next year for preprimary (which would be 2 days ESC and 3 days Mainstream with EA). So why is it less unsettling starting him now as apposed to in feb next year he has no idea how the Australia school year works. Will he just think LDC is over and move on to the next thing, of corse its not that simple he will HATE it to start with (but he might grow to love it - he does well with 1:1 help). He will refuse his uniform and wet his bed for the first few weeks. Im ready for that, thats okay thats change.   

What do I do??? what would you do ?

 Ive always had a positive feeling someone is guiding and looking after me and mine ( I know HIPPY ALERT). But at the moment Im a bit lost. 

 So options are 

1. Finish the school year in LDC with 9 other kids EA and assistant. (Socially good environment)
2. Moved to ESC with 5 other kids and work with 1 teacher and 4 EA. ( Educationally great option for therapy and learning, and he would attend this school part time next year any way).
3. Move him to mainstream kindy with 25 - 30 kids with little assistance.. or 
4. Win massive amounts of money on lotto and move to the an isolated tropical island where none of this matters and coconut run is on tap ! 

Im pulling towards pulling him out of LDC and starting him as soon as possible in the ESC. I think he would love it  but the lack of social interaction bothers me. 

Thanks for reading ( if you did)  I feel better now and can go to sleep I think