My little one is in daycare right now, but we are beginning the IEP process next month with the intention of him starting special ed pre-K in February (he turns 3 then). I'm already having anxiety about this. I'm feeling all of the things...
This resonates with me SO much. Being dismissed is a trigger for me, and so I tend to internalize my fears about my autistic son starting school, because folks have tended to placate me when I express them. Thank you for putting into words what so many parents of neurodivergent children feel.
And thank you for sharing that wonderful video! Cooper is so sweet, silly, and observant :)
I was so lost the day Phoebe went to preschool. I and her mama had to trust that her teachers would pay attention. My girl excelled. She is nonverbal and has started kindergarten. For me the Transition has been hard. What was particularly hard was waiting with her and her parents the first day of school, for her bus to arrive. When the bus pulled up we made a big deal of it and I watched walk to the bus with her mom and dad. Then I cried. The tears fell as I watched the bus pull off with her buckled in. I had to trust the bus driver and aide to look after her, to keep her safe. It is hard to let them go, to trust that others will pay attention to their cues.
I can only imagine in the tiniest way how you must feel this worry trusting him with others. My son went on a multi-stop adventure with a few friends and a dad of one of the boys yesterday. Normally I pack a water and some snacks, but I was just off yesterday and sort of trusted someone would look out for him.
He’s 8, and in the middle of testing so I don’t have a diagnosis, but food is hard and he gets overwhelmed. He never ended up wanting the few snacks they got (just not foods he’ll willingly eat) and they gave him a soda but never checked in about water or something else to drink.
I told him beforehand it’s ok to say he’s done and I’ll pick him up. He did end up needing go home early. When he saw me, he deflated. Just let go of everything he’d been trying to control and was instant tears. He was hungry, and thirsty, and said he tried to explain and tried to hold in the overwhelm - to act like a boy who is supposed to be out having a good time should act. He was out in the world and felt shaky at the idea that not everyone takes care of him like I do.
I’m probably making too much of it. But, magnified by non speaking and people who are (mostly) not mean or malicious not taking care of your boy, almost as if by accident, it’s a lot. My heart goes out to you.
My little one is in daycare right now, but we are beginning the IEP process next month with the intention of him starting special ed pre-K in February (he turns 3 then). I'm already having anxiety about this. I'm feeling all of the things...
This resonates with me SO much. Being dismissed is a trigger for me, and so I tend to internalize my fears about my autistic son starting school, because folks have tended to placate me when I express them. Thank you for putting into words what so many parents of neurodivergent children feel.
And thank you for sharing that wonderful video! Cooper is so sweet, silly, and observant :)
I was so lost the day Phoebe went to preschool. I and her mama had to trust that her teachers would pay attention. My girl excelled. She is nonverbal and has started kindergarten. For me the Transition has been hard. What was particularly hard was waiting with her and her parents the first day of school, for her bus to arrive. When the bus pulled up we made a big deal of it and I watched walk to the bus with her mom and dad. Then I cried. The tears fell as I watched the bus pull off with her buckled in. I had to trust the bus driver and aide to look after her, to keep her safe. It is hard to let them go, to trust that others will pay attention to their cues.
I can only imagine in the tiniest way how you must feel this worry trusting him with others. My son went on a multi-stop adventure with a few friends and a dad of one of the boys yesterday. Normally I pack a water and some snacks, but I was just off yesterday and sort of trusted someone would look out for him.
He’s 8, and in the middle of testing so I don’t have a diagnosis, but food is hard and he gets overwhelmed. He never ended up wanting the few snacks they got (just not foods he’ll willingly eat) and they gave him a soda but never checked in about water or something else to drink.
I told him beforehand it’s ok to say he’s done and I’ll pick him up. He did end up needing go home early. When he saw me, he deflated. Just let go of everything he’d been trying to control and was instant tears. He was hungry, and thirsty, and said he tried to explain and tried to hold in the overwhelm - to act like a boy who is supposed to be out having a good time should act. He was out in the world and felt shaky at the idea that not everyone takes care of him like I do.
I’m probably making too much of it. But, magnified by non speaking and people who are (mostly) not mean or malicious not taking care of your boy, almost as if by accident, it’s a lot. My heart goes out to you.