Preschool

Although I started the ball rolling back in September, Isaac just began the special ed preschool on Thursday, the day following the ARD meeting (Admission Review Dismissal Meeting).  I confess, I am pretty nervous about him starting; he is still very little.  He is in a class with a speech therapist, an early childhood development teacher, and an assistant.  He will also participate in regular classes like PE and music.  The class size is very small.

The assessment team determined that Isaac qualified for the full 20 hours of preschool a week (4 hours a day) primarily due to the severity of his speech delay, but we are starting him at just 10 hours to ease him into the classroom setting and increasing the hours as long as he is happy and doing well.

I've had a lot of mixed feelings about all of this.  Ordinarily, I think 3 year-olds are too young to start a formal preschool, and they really can get all they need at home with their parents, playgroups, and outings.  I joined mother's preschool co-opts with Matthew and Melissa when they were 3 and we had a lot of fun doing that together. I will miss doing that with Isaac. 

Isaac, on the other hand, needs more specialize help than we know how to provide.  His inability to communicate has caused a lot of frustration and tantrums.  It is also holding him back socially and cognitively, I believe.  Speech therapy twice a week has helped, and he has made great strides, but he does need more.  When I talked with his private speech therapist, she wholeheartedly agreed with the school's recommendations. He will continue working with his private therapist twice a week.

Sooo, the first two days seemed to have gone very well.  His teacher reports that his is happy and is adjusting well.  When I leave him in the mornings he is a bit concerned, but no tears, and when I picked him up later, he is very happy to see me.  He also is just dying to ride the school buses that bring the later kids and tried to climb aboard.  I have to practically drag him away and promise him good things his coming later his way to divert his attention.  Perhaps he will ride them in the mornings, and then eventually afternoons, depending upon what transportation says the pick up time will be...

Ha!  And I was concerned about him being afraid of the buses!

I think, hope, and pray we made the right decision with this little guy.  He is different that his big siblings and the things he needs are different.  Right from the very start this small fellow has overturned our previous ideas, and rocked our world.  

Oh, how he tries our patience constantly, increases the love in our home, and, I believe, makes us better people. I love the little man fiercely, deeply, and passionately.

His three year old expressions of joy and affection melt all of our hearts.