Harrumph

Ty has gone back to school and it has been an interesting start to the year. He has an amazing teacher and a great new Communication Intervener, and we count ourselves fortunate for this.

However, we had a nurse who felt a little out of her comfort zone having Ty on her files. She called the district head nurse who, in turn, called me. It was not a pleasant phone call. She pretty much told me that she was recalling his IEP to determine placement options. In other words, she wanted to move him to the self-contained school that has nurses on site everyday to reduce her nurse's liability. The very same place I had fought so hard to have him removed from back in second grade as he pretty much shut down there.

We had just had a meeting this past Spring with a roomful of people to determine that the local high school was the appropriate place for him, so I wasn't too worried. But I'm frustrated that I let her get under my skin - she was completely inappropriate in how she handled the situation - and for that matter, so was I. I ended up raising my voice and using an actual (although mild) cuss word.

I try never to do that with the professionals that work with my son, as it costs me some serious respect points if I do. She said she didn't have to continue to listen to me, instead she was going to call her higher-up (with whom I am very well acquainted, and I knew she'd have my back) and give them her two cents. I told her to go right on ahead.

Even though Ty had been perfectly fine at the local junior high, she felt high school was a whole 'nother matter. Her reasoning made no sense to me. None. And I was furious. I think I actually saw red. Do not, I repeat DO NOT mess with my kid. She should never have called me directly except to update his medical file and she has no actual authority to determine his placement on her own. I had a moment of panic and extreme frustration (to put it mildly) and called for reinforcements.

I wanted to make sure the teacher was still comfortable with having Ty in his class (he was) and that things were going well (and except for a case of butterflies and nausea on Ty's part, it was). In fact, the teacher, his coordinator and intervener were all surprised and unaware that I'd been called. They all reassured me that he was staying. And stay he has.

Seminary is my next battle. It's a complete philosophy change from the junior high to high school. One that I'm hoping to change.