Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Operation 504 Plan: A success ... ?

In that we have one. Or we will once we sign off on it (there's one more thing I want added). And after we show it to kiddo's behavioral therapist for her opinion, in case there's anything we're missing. So we're sort of done, kind of not really.

But the meeting went well. The coordinator was open to whatever we suggested (preferential seating, classwork breaks, letting him stand up while working if needed) and had her own suggestions (provide a timer for him, rig a large stretchy band around his chair to help with the fidgets). She said what we came up with was a pretty standard 504 plan, and we could always add to it or adjust it as needed. So all seems promising.

I also checked with his occupational therapist, who suggested we wait a few weeks for him to settle in before looking for further input. She also said she thought he would "rise to the occasion" and be more or less OK.

I do think the extra things we did with him this summer -- keeping him home with a nanny, twice-a-week OT sessions -- helped out. He got a lot more one-on-one time, he hung out with buddies at the pool, he got swimming lessons and he's been in group OT for a couple months now, which is not only working him physically, but teaching him how to interact properly in groups. So he got a lot of practice in social skills and a lot of exercise (seriously, the kid's chest is rock-hard. I didn't know 5-year-olds could grow muscles).

It seems to me that ADD really means "attention deficit" as in, needing extra attention from the people around you. And acting out if you don't get it.

Will all the extra attention translate to better behavior in kindergarten? Will the 504 really be enough? I don't know. He can get bored -- and act out -- in .5 seconds or less. But at least there's the possibility that this will all go well.

People keep joking about the milestone of kindergarten and am I ready and can I believe it and boo hoo etc. Maybe I'd be in that mindset if kiddo were neurotypical. Really I'm just thinking, Please let him not run around/push/hit/yell/refuse to do classwork/scare off his friends. I'll save that whole misty-eyed thing for later. High school maybe.

In the meantime, he apparently needs two pocket folders and an old shirt for art class, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with this big yellow bus pass. Staple it to his backpack?

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