They don't get it

This week has been nuts! The kids start school on Thursday and I think the school will be ready. There were many times I thought there was no way the school would be finished, they still had a whole hallway of classrooms to carpet and paint. But, alas, the custodians never cease to amaze me! The teachers were allowed in their classrooms today and it doesn't leave them a lot of time to prepare their classrooms. We usually have an ice cream social, where parents and students are able to come and meet their teacher and see their school. However, that event has been canceled. Of course I realize the teachers are on edge because they have a lot of work on their hands! I understand they don't want to have parents in their classroom when it's not at it's best. But, having a special needs child, I am very upset that she will not have the opportunity to see her classroom and connect with her teacher. I think a lot of people underestimate the need for her, and a lot of other children, to have that brief face-to-face with their teacher. Add in the fact that her teacher co-teaches, meaning she will have two teachers teaching the class..one teacher will work a few days a week, the other teacher will work the rest. I am looking forward to both of these ladies teaching my daughter, but it also adds an extra level of stress on her at first. It is going to take longer for her to adjust to both teachers and teaching styles. And frankly, if one more person tells me that she will be fine, I am not going to be responsible for my actions! I know she will be fine, however, you are also only seeing the cover of the book of Emmie! Anyway, that's another soapbox.

I spoke with Joan from Cued Speech via email today. I am very excited to be working with her on an intervention model with Emmie. She is taking a little bit of time off and we are hoping to start in September. I think we will start with a twice a month class which will be affordable for me. I am hoping to increase to more, but we can't afford that now. But, we have to start somewhere. It's certainly not like Tri-Care is going to lend a hand!

Today in the mail arrived a new, shiny Mayer-Johnson catalog! I will be ordering the Boardmaker program soon :) I am hoping things calm down this week after the kids start school, so I can sit down and flip through their catalog and place an order. I am excited to add picture communication to Emmie's everyday activities and school work. The extra visual cues will do wonders for her confidence!

Some days she struggles so hard and she tries just as hard to keep up. Emmie did say she was looking forward to taking reading tests (AR) and she wants to make 100 points! I am so glad she has set the goal for herself! Every 20 points we get ice cream, wow, I may need to bump up the exercise if she goes for 100 points! We had a number of times today where she didn't understand me or didn't hear me, especially when she was helping me write her name on all the school supplies. She also keeps turning the television up when she watches a show. She has had two pure-tone hearing screenings and her hearing is fine, but I think she has trouble processing what a character is saying..especially if it's a commerical where you don't always "see" the speaker. I'm going to keep an eye on that and monitor the volume. I did find these awesome ear buds for her ipod. They fit perfectly around the ear and have an awesome volume control where they can't go up any louder than a conversational tone. No matter how loud you try to turn up the ipod, the volume will not go up when there ear buds are plugged in. LOVE THEM!!

I know I am rambling, mainly because I am so stressed about the first day of school and how Emmie's day is going to go. I know her and I know if she is nervous and anxious, she is going to make herself sick. She knows she struggles and she doesn't want anyone to think she's different, especially if she doesn't know them...like her new teachers. Luckily, I know at least one of the teachers and am able to tell Emmie what I know. Hopefully that will help, because right now, that's all I have to make her comfortable :(