Matt is our 14 year old. He was almost a year old when we got the diagnosis for Kyle. We've never even had Matt tested; I didn't want to put him through the needle stick (he's never handled those well).
Matt's motor development was right on target. That year after Kyle was diagnosed is kind of a blur, so unfortunately, I don't remember specifics.
He is sooooooo painfully shy. He's a motor-mouth at home, but at school, he says very little. This is a child that has been potty-trained since he was 3 (through day and night), but was still having occasional accidents last year at school. He just won't tell anyone that he needs to go. They've tried various strategies. Their strategy now, is to have set times throughout the day when he uses the restroom (the private one). It's working so far.
He has been in a Mild program since kindergarten, although he did do half day in a regular K, and the other half in the MI room. There is a boy that has been so good for him for the past several years. He is in the general ed., but I think he was pulled out occasionally due to a learning disability. He is the one person at school that Matt will actually "talk" to. During our IEPs, we actually discuss trying to ensure that Matt's with him for his mainstream classes (such as art, P.E. (he doesn't participate, mostly watches), social studies, science). I'm very thankful for this friend--a heart of gold!
Next year is going to be a rough. We've already had one IEP meeting, but I've asked for another. Because of the "No Child Left Behind" act, high schools can't have a self-contained MI room because the MI teachers aren't considered "highly qualified." This means that the MI students are expected to be in gen. ed. classes. Matt can not do that work. They have some classes that are taught by the gen. ed. teachers that are for MI, emotionally handicapped students, and LD students, but only a few. So basically our option is to put him in the MO room when there is nowhere else for him to go. The MO teacher wasn't at this meeting. It's just so hard....the gen. ed. classrooms are definitely above his abilities, but I like him being in that type of setting. Although he would never say a word in those classes, he would be observing the social aspect. He's got great behavior, but put him in a situation where things might get silly, and he can get very silly. Maybe I'm just being unrealistic. I don't know.
Matt's a great kid. At times it seems like the Fragile X has him trapped. It's like I can see his desire to "be like everyone else."
Matt's motor development was right on target. That year after Kyle was diagnosed is kind of a blur, so unfortunately, I don't remember specifics.
He is sooooooo painfully shy. He's a motor-mouth at home, but at school, he says very little. This is a child that has been potty-trained since he was 3 (through day and night), but was still having occasional accidents last year at school. He just won't tell anyone that he needs to go. They've tried various strategies. Their strategy now, is to have set times throughout the day when he uses the restroom (the private one). It's working so far.
He has been in a Mild program since kindergarten, although he did do half day in a regular K, and the other half in the MI room. There is a boy that has been so good for him for the past several years. He is in the general ed., but I think he was pulled out occasionally due to a learning disability. He is the one person at school that Matt will actually "talk" to. During our IEPs, we actually discuss trying to ensure that Matt's with him for his mainstream classes (such as art, P.E. (he doesn't participate, mostly watches), social studies, science). I'm very thankful for this friend--a heart of gold!
Next year is going to be a rough. We've already had one IEP meeting, but I've asked for another. Because of the "No Child Left Behind" act, high schools can't have a self-contained MI room because the MI teachers aren't considered "highly qualified." This means that the MI students are expected to be in gen. ed. classes. Matt can not do that work. They have some classes that are taught by the gen. ed. teachers that are for MI, emotionally handicapped students, and LD students, but only a few. So basically our option is to put him in the MO room when there is nowhere else for him to go. The MO teacher wasn't at this meeting. It's just so hard....the gen. ed. classrooms are definitely above his abilities, but I like him being in that type of setting. Although he would never say a word in those classes, he would be observing the social aspect. He's got great behavior, but put him in a situation where things might get silly, and he can get very silly. Maybe I'm just being unrealistic. I don't know.
Matt's a great kid. At times it seems like the Fragile X has him trapped. It's like I can see his desire to "be like everyone else."
Matt's interests: Cooking (he loves watching cooking shows), making lists, the pool, NASCAR, golf (very good on the PS2...needs some work on the real greens), helping dad outside, watching COPS (tells our dogs to "get on the ground!), bowling, and eating!
Check out www.bestbuddies.org It's a great international program that Kyle is involved with. I hope that Matt will be involved next year, but it will take a lot of convincing.
1 comment:
aaww..i love that older pic of the 3 of us..it's one of my favs!!
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