Guest guest Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 First of all - even without the ACCESS program in GA, DJ can attend school until his 22nd birthday UNLESS you let him " graduate " . And I mean with a diploma of any kind before he is 22. You will be able to decide whether he will get a diploma as oposed to a 'finished school ' piece of paper. And you have time to decide that. We decided for Elie that he would get nothing but a 'thankyou for being part of our school " fancy paper. HE attended school until Mya 28th of the year he turned 22 the first week in July. Legally, he would have been entitled to ESY that year (until July 5th) but the program offered was 4 weeks of 2 hours a day. NOt enought to warrent disrupting our whole day. Again - you can deicde if ESY is something he needs and document to prove it and athen if you want to fight for a program that is meaningful for the summer. > > > Hi dear Sara, I perhaps was not clear. DJ will be also doing job > sites/pre-vocational things. I just would not let them only focus on that > part. Also, by getting him into to the new ACCESS initiative, the school HAS > to continue the education part until he leaves at age 22 or beyond. > > It is my understanding that without me doing this, once DJ turned 18, there > would be no more education. I think our kiddos take a bit longer to learn, > so to my mind, why cut them off when they turn 18. > > It is like the system is talking out of both sides of their mouth (or > hinney) because on the one hand you have schools not wanting to have our > kids in a typical classroom and yet it is very handy for them to say that > ny or Sally is now 18 & must " leave " school like typical kids at age 18 > (And without a diploma!!) > > I am soooooo fed up with the political correctness bs that I hear. Like I > can't see thru it? Ha. > > I also look at how much time is spent from almost day one on everything > except academics. No wonder it takes so long for some kiddos to write or > read or whatever. > > And frankly, along with the other reasons I gave in the earlier post, it > scares me sometimes NOT knowing what my child or anyone's child is already > capable of doing all because they cannot tell us. > > For example, it never occurred to me to teach DJ to " surf " the internet > when he was in 7th grade or ever. Or how to save files. Until I discovered > him on youtube. Which at that point, I had never visited. > > Ahem, gone are the days of just starting up starfall or the math programs > or sesame street. The boy knows how to go from one site to another. Can he > tell me how he knows this or how he knows to save music or sites to FOLDERS > in documents??? No, he can't. Just like he can't tell me how he knows how to > put his tv on a sleep timer or another language. > > So, for now, I am always around when he is on the computer (to protect & > monitor him) Now we have a computer in what once was the eating area off the > kitchen. We are now fringe people or pod people since the table is covered > with my art projects & the area now has this desk with computer....where do > these people eat???? LOL > > He is on a Chipmunks kick (god help me) & will search for new cds or movies > & write them down & bring them to us. Same with his Zelda the Twilight > Princess game or any game on gamecube. I have no idea how to play the thing. > He taught himself. Starting at age 5. Now that he can " read " & " write " , he > will look for clues on the web, say aha & run upstairs to do whatever he > found. I think, cause I don't know how to play nintendo nor can he speak > well enough to tell me. > > These are just two little examples of what I did not know the boy could do > & unless he is able to channel the creators of the internet, microsoft, > nintendo,youtube & who knows what else, then he taught himself these things. > Hubby may be a code wizard, I may be a geek hippie and we both may embrace > technology. But WE don't know what DJ knows. > > I have yet to use youtube without someone sending me a link to click. How > did my child with an IQ that supposedly maxes at 36 months figure it out? > How did my " moderate to severe " child learn to play ALL the spiderman games & > zelda games BEFORE he could read??? > > So, it is not for Mama expectations or Dad's. Especially not Dad's! > It is for DJ-to provide as much academic exposure/opportunities while there > is a chance to. To provide for his nourishment of spirit-soul. Just in case. > > > Just. in. case. > > And if it is considered by some to be an epic fail? So what. He has the > rest of his life to be " trained " to be what someone else thinks he should > be. (Course, I will definately have to be dead for that to happen.) > > Maybe I am already nutso, but long before I had DJ in my life, I always > looked at our kiddos as little individual beings. Some maybe- all- just > trapped inside bodies or body parts that were not cooperating. So, I always > looked for ways to " untrap " them when I was teaching. My methods were > usually way outside the box, but the results were huge. To the day I die, I > will say that I learned far more from the kiddos than they did from me. > > I just wish others that play a major role in our kids lives would TRULY > think AND see " individual " person. As well as think outside the box. > > I honor your wisdoms all. Again, apologies for lack of clarity. And thank > you for letting me soapbox and for the hugs. Really needed both. > > Love to all, > Kris, mom to DJ who turned 14 in May. Sigh. > > > -- Sara -To Life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.