Beginning of School is a Mixed Blessing

[Guest guest]

Oh, I don't know about everyone else, but I am BURIED under a mountain of paperwork that the school just gave us yesterday...my oldest son goes to school TOMORROW. Sigh....

Here's my biggest question...I met his new teacher, and I'm not sure she has much, if any, experience in working with children with developmental disabilities. Great. That's not what I ordered at the IEP, and believe me, I'll send it back if I have to!!! But, she actually wants the children to sign "contracts" stating they will obey all classroom rules and understand the consequences they will have to incur if they break the classroom rules; and one other one about homework. There are three of these "contracts" in total. The above two, I have a problem with for a few reasons: A) He has Autism and ADHD. He has a very hard time understanding cause and effect...action and reaction...if you do this, then this will happen. Trust me, I've tested the theory; I can't sign something stating that homework completion will not be a problem and that he will be in charge of remembering and organizing all of his assignments (hello!...did I mention he has ADHD and Asperger's?!?!?!??) when I don't know that with any degree of certainty; and C) He's not even 7 years old!!!! And that's his chronological age -- not his developmental age!!! (Again, did she get the memo that he has developmental disabilities?!?!!? I know she knows, because I told her myself and so did his teacher from last year!) How can he be expected to sign these "contracts?!?!?!?" Yeah, both he and I are supposed to sign them. Yes, I know that they're not legally binding, but still...it's like asking a 4 year old to do all of this.

Does this seem irrational to anyone else? Or is it just me?

Ugh...it was a long summer, because my two Autistic boys couldn't understand why they weren't in school. Now, I have a feeling it's going to be a very long year.

--Suzanne