Bird Love

"Mommy, don't you hear all the birds singing to us?" June asked me this while walking to school just hours before Ada’s education plan for kindergarten. We had been anticipating this plan since Ada’s birth and had been researching and interviewing anyone we could about the best placement for Ada. What I took away from what June expressed is that I am loved. I am not alone. Ada is loved and is not alone. June meanders along beside me, listening to the birds sing for her. How amazing to have the perspective that all things were created for us out of an expression of love. 

June, age 7

Last year was a anxiety filled year and because I am not anxiety prone I was surprised. I took note of that feeling because I know so many who do struggle and wanted to relate. I had this weird feeling in the middle of my chest and nothing would bring peace. I stopped drinking tea during the more intense times to reduce any form of jitteriness. Why couldn't I just trust that what was best for Ada would take place?

We met with Ada's team and it couldn't have gone better. Both the team from the typical school and the cognitively impaired room were present and we discussed what was best for Ada. And, that's when the anxiety left me. We needed to do what was best for Ada. 

Every school district is different and when we were presented with the options for Ada we didn't feel the peace to have Ada attend the typical classroom full time. She would need a lot of assistance and redirection and since our classroom sizes are large we could see her becoming overwhelmed and shutting down more often than not. She would be pulled out for some sessions of occupational and speech therapy as well as time in the resource room. Ada thrives on routine and we could see how each day would look very different. But, this lingering guilt and anxiety about full inclusion plagued me.

Ada and Whitney, friends!

We had visited the cognitively impaired room prior and when we left we commented that we would send all three of our girls there because of the way the classroom was conducted. Where we live there are different schools for different abilities. We have separate programs for those with autism, emotionally impaired, mildly cognitively impaired and severely cognitively impaired. These classrooms are all run differently according to the needs of the children in them. Within these rooms each child is treated individually and will be included in a typical classroom for periods of time depending on what their IEP team and parents have decided. As your child grows there is more potential for more typical classroom time if that is what works best for your child. We loved this idea for Ada! 

One huge factor we considered was the idea of friendship. What connections would Ada make in each situation and where would her people be? Ada is now spending time in a typical classroom for math and reading and we will see where those friendships take her but we have been more than blessed with the friends Ada has made in her CI room. Hearing her talk about her friends is like the birds singing for us!