I reviewed where the girls are at for school this year. In most subjects, they’re about 1/3 of the way through, which is nice, but I don’t like to draw school out quite as long into the spring as traditional school, so I had hoped we were further along than that. I went through each of the girls’ school subjects one by one to see how far along they were and considered each of the subjects to decide how important they were.
*Daniel is standing and leaning on the back of the recliner in my bedroom…. rocking, rocking, rocking and the two younger girls have started school in the bed behind me.*
Anyway, I cut a few subjects that had become stressful instead of instructive and beefed up on subjects that have been great, but which need more attention in order to finish. I love the freedom to adjust and shift as needed… as I decide. Washington state’s homeschool laws are wonderful for giving me the freedom to instruct my children as they need, rather than based upon a standardized rulebook. (There are guidelines and rules, but they are not constrictive!)
*This blog is just me trying to type as I think. I’m afraid I don’t have a cohesive thought I’m trying to communicate today. Simply exercising the discipline of writing until I have my footing here at the blog again.*
Jordan is practicing ABA therapy five days a week at home for 3 hours a day. He’s learning some constructive communication, for which I am so incredibly grateful. It’s hard to have a stranger in my house so much of the time, but it’s gone just about as well as it possibly could. Hmm. I want to articulate a struggle that most people wouldn’t be aware of for this situation. To appreciate the struggle, you must first be aware of a flaw in modern Child Protective Services. CPS caseworkers who receive a call that needs to be investigated arrive at a home with two things that are very problematic: They arrive with the assumption of guilt and they arrive with power to remove children from their parents without any due process.
That’s terrifying. CPS is staffed by regular people. Who don’t always make the right decision.
Anyway – the unexpected burden of parenting children with special needs and accepting regular therapies in our private home – is the fear that CPS will be called on us by the therapists. It’s happened to us before once and all special needs parents are aware that it happens FAR more often for people of our type than to families who don’t experience special needs. There is a constant battle to maintain personal self confidence and maintain the dignity of regular, sometimes messy human existence when anything could be used against us.
Jordan wears pajamas 24/7. Will that makes somebody think that he’s less loved, less provided for, in trouble? (He wears PJs to maintain his dignity and our property’s integrity… it prevents him from stripping and having potty accidents all over.)
We have five children and three dogs… there is always dirt and hair and clutter in some percentage of our home. Will they consider that unsanitary?
We are not a zero-spanking home. Our children’s safety and emotional well-being is very important to us. We have gone to the ends of the earth to redeem and protect our children. But if we ever employ corporal punishment in the presence of a therapist, will they report us for abuse?
The list goes on. We hope that the professionals we work with will see us with respect. We hope that they (and you) will think carefully before using a broken system like CPS to check on safety and well-being concerns.
*Wow, that got heavy fast.*
Friendship is precious. Protect it.
Marriage is a treasure. Nurture it.
Fatigue is my companion. Umm…. pray for rest?
I like to knit. I want to create leather bracelets, but I’m struggling to have brain-space to apply myself creatively.
Can a person develop sensory processing disorder? Can a person become more impacted by autism… or “become” autistic? These are things I wonder about myself!
Why don’t girls get diagnosed with autism as easily as boys?
I hate gaslighting.
I love honesty.
So long for now!