OT The New School

> Well it has taken some getting used to on all fronts, but I do think
> it is an improvement, so far anyway.
> This is BOCES,
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_cooperative_educational_services
>
> While they do get stipends from the local districts and the state,
> they also charge the district tuition. The amount depends on the
> services provided.
> Just that difference to us at home is huge. We didn't have to send in
> 86 boxes of kleenex, a dozen dry erase markers, 6 boxes of chalk, and
> a years worth of graham crackers, plus whatever they felt Ash himself
> might need. We didn't have to send in anything at all. That was a
> difference felt on the home budget let me tell you! Since DD3
> graduated last year and won't start college until spring, this has
> been the most financially pain free September we have had since 1986
> when DD1 started kindergarten.
>
> Ash started school on the 9th of this month. They start a few days
> later, end a few days later, and don't have the massive number of
> inservice days that the district does.
>
> Just two weeks after he started we had the Fall IEP meeting. The state
> requires two, one in the fall and one in the spring. His new teacher
> is totally juiced about him. First off he is the most amiable and
> well behaved kid in his class (of 4), and she believes that this is
> already having a good effect on the other three.
> Then to quote her, "He really does have total recall!". She found
> this out working with flash cards and a dry erase board. She thought
> the word 'refigerator' was too long for him and by the time she had
> refiled it he had written it down, as well as the next word which was
> 'unicorn'. Then he refiled 'unicorn' while she was gaping at the
> board, and he was poking her saying 'unicorn' (which is a word he
> knows from his own flash cards). He will say words he has figured out
> how to say, some sounds are easier for him than others. In this case
> he was trying to prompt her for the next word, he does that at home
> all the time. This did allow us to emphasize that for him treating
> words as independent units works better than sounding out, or phonics.
>
> They are working on trying to sort out which words that he writes he
> actually associates with a meaning. A daunting task. I think it is
> more than we know because he spending more and more time pouring over
> his books rather than just copying out of them.
> They are quickly sorting out which worksheets he has seen before as he
> will fill them out quick as anything if he knows them. They also
> discovered that they have to take the cards out of magazines since
> otherwise he will take them out himself, fill them out, and line them
> up in a row.
>
> He loves the pool. Since it is a theraputic pool he doesn't even come
> home reeking of chlorine. This is the first time he has ever had
> access to a pool on a regular basis, he goes four times a week. The
> director of the facility feels that learning to swim is an important
> life skill (in this area it is, a great lake, a biggish lake and a
> multitude of smaller bodies of water, rivers, and streams), so she
> tries to make sure that every student in the students with
> disabilities facility learns how to swim. So this is multiplely good
> for our lad. They quickly learned that in the gym as long as he is
> bouncing he is a happy boy. Since they have a trampoline they have
> learned why Ash's independent aide is a needful thing! He can be up on
> the thing and bouncing before they get the door closed if there is
> nobody to hang onto him. So they are going to keep the aide at least
> until after Christmas. They do eventually want to be done with the
> aide, but they are not willing to run risks.
>
> Naturally practically the first person he made friends with was the
> biggest scariest security guard. Think Wesley Snipes as Blade, only
> he talks less and growls more. One of the things they do the first
> week is introduce all the kids to the security guards (parents got to
> meet them on the introductory tour), so they know the guards and the
> guards know them. Ash clapped eyes on this guy and immediately ran up
> and gave him a hug and looked up at him and said Hi!. The guy smiled
> at him, which just impressed the heck out of the teacher. Ash always
> gives this particular guard a hug and a Hi! every time he sees him.
> Our lad just liked him on sight. When I said hi the guy just nodded
> and sort of rumbled, maybe I should have hugged him?
>
> NightMist
>
>
>

> Well it has taken some getting used to on all fronts, but I do think
> it is an improvement, so far anyway.
> This is BOCES,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_cooperative_education=

> While they do get stipends from the local districts and the state,
> they also charge the district tuition. =A0The amount depends on the
> services provided.
> Just that difference to us at home is huge. =A0We didn't have to send in
> 86 boxes of kleenex, a dozen dry erase markers, 6 boxes of chalk, and
> a years worth of graham crackers, plus whatever they felt Ash himself
> might need. =A0We didn't have to send in anything at all. =A0That was a
> difference felt on the home budget let me tell you! =A0Since DD3
> graduated last year and won't start college until spring, this has
> been the most financially pain free September we have had since 1986
> when DD1 started kindergarten.
> Ash started school on the 9th of this month. =A0They start a few days
> later, end a few days later, and don't have the massive number of
> inservice days that the district does.
> Just two weeks after he started we had the Fall IEP meeting. The state
> requires two, one in the fall and one in the spring. =A0His new teacher
> is totally juiced about him. =A0First off he is the most amiable and
> well behaved kid in his class (of 4), and she believes that this is
> already having a good effect on the other three. =A0
> Then to quote her, "He really does have total recall!". =A0She found
> this out working with flash cards and a dry erase board. =A0She thought
> the word 'refigerator' was too long for him and by the time she had
> refiled it he had written it down, as well as the next word which was
> 'unicorn'. =A0Then he refiled 'unicorn' while she was gaping at the
> board, and he was poking her saying 'unicorn' (which is a word he
> knows from his own flash cards). =A0He will say words he has figured out
> how to say, some sounds are easier for him than others. =A0In this case
> he was trying to prompt her for the next word, he does that at home
> all the time. =A0This did allow us to emphasize that for him treating
> words as independent units works better than sounding out, or phonics.
> They are working on trying to sort out which words that he writes he
> actually associates with a meaning. =A0A daunting task. =A0I think it is
> more than we know because he spending more and more time pouring over
> his books rather than just copying out of them.
> They are quickly sorting out which worksheets he has seen before as he
> will fill them out quick as anything if he knows them. =A0They also
> discovered that they have to take the cards out of magazines since
> otherwise he will take them out himself, fill them out, and line them
> up in a row.
> He loves the pool. =A0Since it is a theraputic pool he doesn't even come
> home reeking of chlorine. =A0This is the first time he has ever had
> access to a pool on a regular basis, he goes four times a week. The
> director of the facility feels that learning to swim is an important
> life skill (in this area it is, a great lake, a biggish lake and a
> multitude of smaller bodies of water, rivers, and streams), so she
> tries to make sure that every student in the students with
> disabilities facility learns how to swim. =A0So this is multiplely good
> for our lad. =A0They quickly learned that in the gym as long as he is
> bouncing he is a happy boy. =A0Since they have a trampoline they have
> learned why Ash's independent aide is a needful thing! He can be up on
> the thing and bouncing before they get the door closed if there is
> nobody to hang onto him. =A0So they are going to keep the aide at least
> until after Christmas. =A0They do eventually want to be done =A0with the
> aide, but they are not willing to run risks.
> Naturally practically the first person he made friends with was the
> biggest scariest security guard. =A0Think Wesley Snipes as Blade, only
> he talks less and growls more. =A0One of the things they do the first
> week is introduce all the kids to the security guards (parents got to
> meet them on the introductory tour), so they know the guards and the
> guards know them. =A0Ash clapped eyes on this guy and immediately ran up
> and gave him a hug and looked up at him and said Hi!. =A0The guy smiled
> at him, which just impressed the heck out of the teacher. =A0Ash always
> gives this particular guard a hug and a Hi! every time he sees him.
> Our lad just liked him on sight. =A0When I said hi the guy just nodded
> and sort of rumbled, maybe I should have hugged him?
> NightMist
> --
> Legolas is my house elf