I asked the school about ABA therapy, noting that our pediatrician
strongly recommended it and wrote us out a prescription and everything,
and also noting that I'm worried about how kiddo is going to do next
year when he switches to a full day of school. The school folks are
checking into it, but noted that they would have to get clearance to
arrange such services for a non-IEP student.
Well, I knew that whole "he doesn't need an IEP, he's doing great academically" decision would come back to exasperate me at some point.
In all honesty, his school has done a lot for him -- classroom accommodations, OT, social skills group, regular meetings to discuss progress -- so I can't really complain. The boards on additudemag.com are full of parents upset that their school won't give accommodations or won't follow the 504 plan or won't discuss issues with the parents or won't even acknowledge that ADHD is a real thing, and write the kid off as lazy/stupid/badly parented. We're in a pretty good place, comparatively.
But I do think he could use the therapy. I'd rather go the extra mile now, than wait until he's really floundering and try frantically to make up for lost time.
I will say kiddo has one thing very much going for him: He's a dancing fool. We were at a first communion party yesterday, with a dance floor and a kid-friendly DJ and everything, and he basically danced the whole time, except when he was eating. It's hilarious and adorable (and in about eight years, will serve him well at school dances). Some of the other boys at the party were out in the hallway instead, tumbling around and tackling each other and throwing a ball around (and probably threatening the nice loungy furniture), and I know if kiddo had joined them he would've taken the roughhousing that half-step too far and hurt someone, or gotten in trouble -- inevitably being the only one to get in trouble, and not understanding why. So dance away, my son. Rock it Gangnam Style.
Only downside to the day, really, was the ice cream bar and the cake and the chocolate lollipops. Which were tasty, don't get me wrong. But I knew all the sugar would probably cause issues for kiddo, and I was right -- getting him out of the house this morning was a nightmare. He actually got out-and-out oppositional -- "No! I don't want to brush teeth! I want to play!" and running off -- which he hasn't done in a long time, certainly not since starting the medication. It's a conundrum, situations like that. Do I tell him he has to be the only kid in the room not eating dessert? Or do I suck it up and let him go all wonky later on? It's a lose-lose situation either way, seems like.
Well, I knew that whole "he doesn't need an IEP, he's doing great academically" decision would come back to exasperate me at some point.
In all honesty, his school has done a lot for him -- classroom accommodations, OT, social skills group, regular meetings to discuss progress -- so I can't really complain. The boards on additudemag.com are full of parents upset that their school won't give accommodations or won't follow the 504 plan or won't discuss issues with the parents or won't even acknowledge that ADHD is a real thing, and write the kid off as lazy/stupid/badly parented. We're in a pretty good place, comparatively.
But I do think he could use the therapy. I'd rather go the extra mile now, than wait until he's really floundering and try frantically to make up for lost time.
I will say kiddo has one thing very much going for him: He's a dancing fool. We were at a first communion party yesterday, with a dance floor and a kid-friendly DJ and everything, and he basically danced the whole time, except when he was eating. It's hilarious and adorable (and in about eight years, will serve him well at school dances). Some of the other boys at the party were out in the hallway instead, tumbling around and tackling each other and throwing a ball around (and probably threatening the nice loungy furniture), and I know if kiddo had joined them he would've taken the roughhousing that half-step too far and hurt someone, or gotten in trouble -- inevitably being the only one to get in trouble, and not understanding why. So dance away, my son. Rock it Gangnam Style.
Only downside to the day, really, was the ice cream bar and the cake and the chocolate lollipops. Which were tasty, don't get me wrong. But I knew all the sugar would probably cause issues for kiddo, and I was right -- getting him out of the house this morning was a nightmare. He actually got out-and-out oppositional -- "No! I don't want to brush teeth! I want to play!" and running off -- which he hasn't done in a long time, certainly not since starting the medication. It's a conundrum, situations like that. Do I tell him he has to be the only kid in the room not eating dessert? Or do I suck it up and let him go all wonky later on? It's a lose-lose situation either way, seems like.
We did not give Peter ice cream or cake at the party yesterday and we were super glad. And if he IS going to eat cake, I don't want it to be crappy party cake. I brought him a drinkable yogurt and a breakfast bar.
ReplyDeleteBut would I also do that for kiddette? And if not, wouldn't kiddo notice that he's eating a different dessert than his sister? I dunno, it seems like a potentially problematic solution. I think either we let him have the occasional dive into Junk Food Land, or we don't bring him to any parties.
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