40 pounds lighter

We have received the best news about Gavin at yet another IEP meeting.  We have been to so many meetings, appointments and consults re: Gavin over the past 3 years but this one was truly a joy to attend!

 

GAVIN NO LONGER REQUIRES SPECIAL SERVICES AT SCHOOL, AND WILL JOIN THE GENERAL EDUCATION FIRST GRADE NEXT YEAR!!!!!!  

This has been such a very long journey (not that it's over completely mind you) with too many lows and not enough highs, that to walk out of that meeting was just overwhelming - I'm not sure I've felt that much joy in a very long time!!  Gavin currently has two teachers - general ed Mrs. Renner and SSD Mr Craven - both of whom Gavin adores and both of whom adore Gavin.  This meeting was an absolute Gavin love fest and Jon and I just sat there basking in the glory of all these people going on and on about how much they like Gavin and how they love having him in class.  This meeting was to discuss his progress and make recommendations for next year.  If he was still considered "at risk" then it would have been another discussion about what services he would need, how many minutes that would require and who would be involved.  But, he is not longer considered at risk and in fact, his general ed teacher commented that often times, Gavin would be the only child following directions and getting work done…and he was the one with an IEP (individualized education plan).  The meeting had his teachers, school counselor and psychologist as well as the principal, psychologist and 1st grade teacher from Oak Brook - the school that Gavin will transfer to next year - our home elementary school.  In case you don't remember, last year at this same type of meeting it was decided that Gavin needed to attend a different school with a "contained" SSD classroom - which turned out to be Mr. Craven's class.  Jon and I were very sad that he would not attend the school the neighborhood kids attend and that he would have to ride the "short bus"to school.  Well, that turned out to be the best decision we could have made (or let them make for us) as Mr. Craven and Mrs. Renner have been FANTASTIC with Gavin.  They are both very supportive of Gavin and realize how intelligent he is and have been going above and beyond with his education to help challenge him and keep him on the right path!  They both are free with their praise both to Gavin and to us and, frankly, are amazed at the things he can do and can come up with.  They admitted at the meeting that they call on Gavin more often because they want to see how he will solve problems and like how he thinks "outside the box".  So anyway, at this meeting the current staff couldn't say enough nice things about Gavin which made me feel so much better about his transition to his new school.  The first grade teacher got to hear first hand what a great kid Gavin is in school and what his frustrations are and how best to handle them.  They actually got to meet him as he happened to be on his way to art/music and walked by the meeting room - and he proceeded to inform the room how fast of a bike rider he is and how he's only 6 but he's the fastest in the world.  Humble he is not.  

We've had such a good experience at this school that I am actually a bit sad he has to transfer to the new school, but I realize what a great opportunity it is for him as well.  I made sure to sing the current schools praises at the meeting just so his new school would know that they have high expectations to live up to!  Mr. Craven was also very good to Gavin as he suggested a different teacher than the original one chosen because he knew she would be a better fit for him - she's young, calm and free with her praise too!  

We have had Gavin in OT since last year as well to help with his sensory processing (basically helping him feel comfortable in his own skin and learning to self regulate his emotions) and I think that, combined with his great teachers has really helped him make great strides this school year.  We are so proud of him and his progress and can't wait to see what he accomplishes next year!  

I think back to the first year of preschool when they had Gavin evaluated for autism and it came back that he did have autistic tendencies and I wonder what would have happened if I had just let that stand - I saw some of the things that they saw, but there were so many inconsistencies that I just knew it wasn't right.  Then I think of all the places we took Gavin for evaluations and all the doctors we saw just trying to figure out what was "wrong".  But always I knew that there was something with Gavin but just not what the rest of the world thought.  I knew he was tough and quirky and that it was odd that he was fixated on sounds/noises and things the rest of us ignored, but I also knew he was smart, loving and just trying to do things his way and in his own time.  To be completely honest, there was a time when i wondered if I was raising a serial killer or something along those lines - especially after Harper was born and he just growled or ignored her for an entire year.  AN ENTIRE YEAR.   The beginning of the healing was when I took that sensory disorder survey and so many of the things on it explained Gavin perfectly.  I knew we were on the right path at that point but really didn't know how much it would fix or make right in his world.  And to be honest, I still don't have a clue what those OT people do for him - it looks like a bunch of jumping, climbing and playing to me - but whatever they do, he just seems better and more able to handle the world around him.  I'll never forget when I saw him during the initial appointment swinging in the tire type swing after they had worked with him and he was so CALM.  I'd never seen him so at peace and calm in his own skin - it was weird.  But hindsight is 20/20 and I think back to all the things he (and we) struggled with and so many of them are linked to this sensory processing.  It's amazing to me.

I'm probably now a bit annoying to other parents because if I see a kid like Gavin or hear things that they do that sound like him, I probably jump in a little too quickly with the suggestion to look into sensory processing and Occupational Therapy.  But I just know what a struggle it is as a parent to try to figure out how to help your kid and how many of the things were really related to sensory (and to growing up and maturing too) and I just want to save other parents the stress and frustration.  Not that it's the cure-all or anything, but it has us on the right path and Gavin's recent success is proof of that.
Whew.

This is Mrs. Renner and Gavin back in October.  I still have to take a picture of him with Mr. Craven.
Have a great week!