No Kindergarten For Us Was The Best Move!

Handsome has come a very long way . We had his IEP (Individualized Education Plan) Meeting yesterday and he is doing awesome. His overall level of achievement is High Average, his standard score in written expression is superior and academic skills are advanced. WOW, this kid has come a long way. When I started him in early intervention at 3, I was unsure if I was doing the right thing. When I held him back a year before putting him in Kindergarten I met a lot of resistance from the school and from friends and family. I know it now as I knew it then that it was the best move for HIM! After days of rain this mommy's heart is still bursting with pride

I wrote this July 15, 2008 but since I had my son's IEP meeting yesterday I thought I would share this again. It was originally on my blog In the Blink Of An Eye.

 I have decided that my son will NOT be going to kindergarten this year. Back in April I discussed his IEP meeting and how I was confident that another year in Pre-K would be beneficial to him.

The school for some reason seems to be against his staying in Pre-K. They believe that I should put him in Kindergarten and if he needs more time, he can repeat Kindergarten. This just makes no sense to me.

What is the most frustrating, is that my son who has been in Early Intervention since he was 21 months for a speech delay would be fine in Kindergarten but it is not Kindergarten that I am worried about. It is every grade after that. He is academically ready for 1st grade but his academics have never been the issue. My kid was telling me B-L-U-E spells blue and H-O-U-S-E spells house when he was 22 months old.

My decision has been based on his IEP as well as my daily interactions and concerns with him. I have been telling his therapists that I recently made a call to the school to let them know that I have made my final decision, he will not be coming in September.

There was a bit of an attitude on the phone from someone who I thought was my ally. Maybe they were having a bad day or maybe there is some red tape they will need to go through now that he is 5 (above Pre-K age), but still in services.

I have no idea.
What I do know is this…
My son had a speech delay which contributed to a social, emotional and mental delay. This along with the personality of a pre-schooler (testing the waters, talking back) and the inability to remain focused, along with a self esteem problem because for the past 3 years he has been corrected every time he tried to say something and a classification of a preschooler with a disability = a definite reason to delay the start of school.

While he has been making great progress since starting services, I see no reason why this is meeting with such resistance.

There are mainstream children who have no classification or present any of the above mentioned reasons for delaying Kindergarten, yet because of their birthday or immaturity wait a year to begin. So, why are we rushing my son?

He is enrolled in a preschool that I have been talking with for over 4 months now and I am excited to see what September hold for him.

Supposedly he will also get speech and OT at the Elementary school 4 times a week but if this does not fit into my schedule (I do have another child and we will be waiting in town for close to 2.5 hour a day, 4 times a week), I have no problem cutting off therapies, giving him a year off and resuming again when he starts kindergarten.

I have a call into the Special Education Department to discuss more what will happen in September. Hopefully all goes well and they and I can continue to work together for my son’s benefit. If not, I will have to confront them on their attitude and demeanor on our last call and ask that they refrain from further discussions of my son with me unless we are in a Board of Education Meeting.

School Issues in July?
I thought we were all getting along.