Hope Never Fails (or listens)

About a month ago, I attended a meeting between parents of children on the spectrum and our local school district. It was hosted by a parent-run independent organization whose mission is "To promote, support, and advocate for the education of diploma-bound students on the autism spectrum in grades K–12."(1). Having 2 very intelligent children on the spectrum, I thought it would be a good organization to look into. It would allow me to anticipate potential issues and start learning how to address potential pitfalls. Sounds good, right?

I served as "note-taker" for the preschool forum. It was an opportunity for me to listen in to learn how these children are transitioned from the various preschool programs into kindergarten. The representatives from the school system talked primarily about the preschool programs that have been designated as "PEP", which (from what I understand) is where the majority of students on the spectrum who would be considered "diploma bound" begin their school career. Neither Rachel nor Simon are in "PEP". So, after the session was over, I had a brief conversation to address the potential transition for my kids. This conversation did not happen between me and one of the representatives from the school system, but with the "moderator" of this breakout session, who happened to be an officer with this organization. In addition to being a part of this advocacy group, she is also a social worker for our school's Early Intervention Services group (but a different office than we had worked with) and has a daughter on the spectrum who is diploma bound.

Given this information, I was looking forward to the advice she would have for me. I told her that I have a daughter in the CAPP Program (Collaborative Autism Preschool Program) and, starting during her last IEP meeting in October, have had conversations with her teacher and the representative to the Autism Office about the possibility of her entering a mainstream kindergarten classroom when she is ready for kindergarten in the 2012-2013 school year. CAPP is the most intensive program offered by our local schools. It's a highly-intensive 1-on-1 ABA-based learning system. Many who enter the program are non-verbal. They all have significant issues regarding language, behavior, and impulse-control, as well as many other areas. Rachel has THRIVED in this environment. We had learned while we were still working with Early Intervention Services (Infants and Toddlers) that she responds to the learning system, ABA. I don't think this individual heard anything I said after mentioning Rachel was in CAPP. Or, if she did, she chose not to listen.

She basically told me that my daughter would not be able to function in a mainstream kindergarten classroom. She went as far as to say that she will likely NOT be diploma bound. A child requiring that level of intensity of services at the preschool level will not be able to function in a classroom setting.

HOW DARE SHE!!!!!!

This is someone who advises other families coping with autism and other developmental disabilities. Part of her job is to provide encouragement to the families she serves. NOT to shoot down their dreams for their children. She has never met Rachel. She doesn't know how far Rachel has come. She doesn't know how smart my daughter is. She doesn't have any means of knowing anything about her or her situation. She doesn't know that we actually had a discussion to determine if her placement should be changed to put her in a less intensive environment. She doesn't know that Rachel spends part of every day in a typical pre-K classroom to learn how to interact with her neurotypical peers. All she knows is that Rachel is in the CAPP program.

I don't know if Rachel will receive her high school diploma and go on to college. I don't know if Simon will do the same. But I do know that I will not limit her based on her diagnosis. Other children with autism function in classroom settings and continue on to receive higher education beyond high school. And as a social worker working with this population as well as a mother to a child on the spectrum, she of all people should know this. I will not allow this (in my not-so-objective opinion) unqualified and prejudiced uninformed individual to limit my children's potential.


Footnote:
(1) This mission statement is literally copied/pasted from the website of this organization. Because of nature of this post, I have chosen to not provide the specific website detailing the name of the organization. However, these words are not my work and should be credited to this parenting group.