Very Special Education

Aster has always been inquisitive and he could remember where Dianthus (his older brother) left Dianthus's shoes before he could walk or talk.  He's cognitively with it.

First day of school, August 2014

So it was a bit of a shock to his grandfather last year when we mentioned that Aster was "aging out" of EI so we needed to write an IEP for DPK.  Or at least it was after we had translated the acronyms: Early Intervention, Individualized Education Program, Developmental Prekindergarten, and the meaning became clear. "You're putting him in Special Ed?"

Indeed, we just returned from an annual IEP meeting, discussing Aster's accomplishments in a year of Special Ed and the plan for the future.  Although there was too much time spent telling stories about everyone's children while we waited for a malfunctioning printer, it was a very pleasant meeting. Aster will receive some physical and occupational therapy over the summer and will be in a "general education" preK class next year, leaving four times a week for various therapies. 

A four day a week pre-pre-school with three adults and five ambulatory three-year-old kids making baby belugas in bottles is probably not the stereotype of a "Special Ed." classroom. Oklahoma is unusual in the US in having universal, free pre-K through the public schools.  Apparently, our school district is somewhat unusual in having services for 3-year-olds provided at the public school through a classroom based program*.  Most special ed. classrooms, therefore, do not look like this.

But Aster's does.  And he loves it.

Apparently not all IEP meetings are quite as smooth as ours have been.  Many CHASA parents work for days, if not weeks, assembling a binder of documentation and sometimes calling in legal counsel before the meeting.  Meanwhile for ours we showed up, signed a bunch of papers, waited for a the principal, and learned of Aster's at-school exploits, while therapists wandered in and out as different papers needed updating and different printers needed printing.

I'm thankful that his education is special.

*All states in the U.S. have Early Intervention Programs for kids age 0-3 with delayed development.  Who qualifies, who pays, and how it is administered varies state to state.  I encourage anyone who knows of a child who is struggling to seek learn more about the local EI program, as early intervention really can change outcomes.  More information about EI and hemiplegia can be found here.
After age 3, different laws apply.  In Oklahoma, services for kids three and over is all done through the school system, and in our school district, everything happens at the school through a developmental pre-K class.