Special Ed- Back in It

I wanted to make this my "special ed" blog- where I can write about the other part of my life- the special part.

I've been working as a speech-language pathologist since 1998. I absolutely love it. When working with very young children- babies to preschoolers, people who knew what I did asked me if it was hard to work with little kids who cognitively and developmentally delayed (and who always might be disabled). The short answer is "no," because I always have hope that through school programs and therapy and most of all through helping their parents and families work with them, that these children will gain new abilities and be able to communicate with others, play, learn and live well.

Right now, I work with middle and high school students. And it is different, because some of them have reached, if not the height of what they will achieve, then they are fast approaching the end of formal schooling. At 21, NY no longer has to provide school programs. Through medicaid, students become "consumers" and can be enrolled in day-habilitation programs and adult care programs. Some of my students will be enrolled in daytime facilities that will provide them with some work experiences as well as a social outlet. There are afternoon programs, too, and consumers eat dinner together, have parties, go shopping, go on trips. There are weekend programs, too. Consumers often then make the transition to group homes because they are adults with aging parents. Or, sometimes, my students are already in group homes- for reasons ranging from parents dying, parents getting to sick to care for them, or because my students have behaviors that make it increasingly difficult to live at home.

So, honestly, when I work with those cute little kids I sometimes will allow myself to think- "what will this sweet little kid be like in 5, 10, 15, 20 years?" and imagine the worst- but not often. Usually, I am filled with hope. I know that early intervention works, and I've "graduated" lots of kids who exhibited communication delays to go on to regular education. And that is a lot easier than working with my older, almost graduated from school, "cognitively younger functioning" students with severe behavior problems that will most certainly keep them from attending a less restrictive program as an adult. Because if you try to run away, or hit people, or scream really loud sometimes, you aren't going to get a job pushing carts at Costco, or get a job in an office.

These students will become consumers soon and I never give up on what I might be able to do to help them and thier parents, but often feel as if I've already failed because the future is now and don't have 20 more years to make sure that they can function at their best. And that's the hardest part of my job.

To mom on mother's day

I'm a mom. I can't believe that I'm really the mother of two boys. I will clarify: two very little boys- the first will be 3 in a few months and the other is just a month old. So I have done very little parenting for the second, and do not yet feel exhausted by the prospect. I realize that parenthood is for forever, and look forward to my future with my family, though the enormity is daunting. Milestones, of course, but then the everyday! The making of breakfast, the laundry, the colds and ear infections, and the endless tidying up of toys, and then later school, and sports, and friends, and backpacks, homework, blah, blah, blah - the everyday. I look forward to the everyday.

I have to get off of the computer- this time is a luxury right now- but I want to say happy mother's day to all moms (and those who act as mom to children- the dads, grandparents, aunts, teachers, etc). And I want to say it too, to my mom- who died 6 years ago, who would have been 60 this year, who would have been a wonderful grandmother, who never met her grandchildren, who was a great mom, who I love- and I still feel loved, because being a parent, like being someone's child, is forever.