School Delay

So the IEP is done. I think it went pretty well. Kyara is scheduled to go to school Monday and Friday mornings, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and all day Wednesday. Wednesday is therapy day at school, so I am glad she will be there all day. On the other days, she will receive private therapy during the times she is not in school. We will still be busy running from place to place, but whatever is best for her, I am all for. I would drive to the moon everyday if that would help her improve. One thing that I am not as pleased about with the IEP is that Kyara is not scheduled to go into a regular education kindergarten classroom. I feel this is very important for Kyara. I am still running on the belief that Kyara is in there and not able to let us know that she understands everything happening around her. Believing this means that she SHOULD be around her regular peers to get that interaction. I also believe Kyara will improve. I don't want her to be an "outsider" when she is able to enter a regular classroom down the road. I believe that if she is a part of the classroom now, while the kids are still in kindergarten, then it will be more likely for her to be accepted as a regular student in the future. I understand the school's argument of "give her time to adjust to going to school again," and "we want her to be an active participant, not just a passive observer." But, I disagree. I can only think of what is best for Kyara, and I think that by first being a "passive observer" she is more likely to become an "active participant." I know Kyara and I know she needs a challenge, she needs pushing, and she NEEDS to be with her "normal" peers as much as possible. I want her to see that there is more than just the profound class at Poplar Road. We are not giving up on her and Kyara needs to see that. Whew, I'll get off my soapbox now.

Kyara was scheduled to start school tomorrow, Tuesday, but that is going to be delayed. The problems started last Thursday. Kyara started coughing some and spitting up little chunks of thick white/yellow/greenish mucus. No fever, no other symptoms. So, I took her to the doctor on Friday just to make sure nothing was going on. Turns out she has an ear infection. We left with a prescription for Amoxicillin and the thought that it would be getting better. Unfortunately, over the weekend, Kyara got worse and worse. Yesterday, Sunday, Gunars had to wake her up at 11:00 and she was very lethargic the rest of the day. Last night she started running a fever. This morning it was up to 103.5. Ok, doctors, here we come. Today they got chest x-rays and found pneumonia. So, long story not so short, Kyara will not be going to school tomorrow. We have a new antibiotic and I hope it will help her feel better soon. On the upside, Kyara has not cried much at all the last two days. On the downside, Kyara has been too sick to cry the past two days.

We have also found a new speech therapist in Peachtree City and so far, so good. I like what she is doing with Kyara. She seems to really care about her and working on her communication skills.