Well, for us Kindergarten really began on Tuesday afternoon. Isaac's elementary school invited us to a "Meet Your Teacher" Open House, which silly me assumed was just for Kindergartners. Oh, no, my friends - PreK - 5th grade. So, we arrive to a ridiculously crowded parking lot, and there were so many kids and families and babies in strollers, etc, that Isaac didn't want to get out of the car. I got out of the car, grabbed the two bags of school supplies we were dropping off, and contemplated leaving him in the car. Not seriously, not for more than a moment...but the thought was there.
I sweet talked him out somehow (I think "when we get home you can have sausage and movies and a pony" might have been said...), and we walked into the crazy loud school. These events? Not designed for autistic kids.
I didn't even bother trying to fight through the crowd of people looking for their teacher's room numbers on a little list on the front bulletin board; I instead marched Isaac and myself in to the front office, which knows us well from our past two years of preK and early pick-ups for doctor's appointments and such.
"Hi. Where's Mrs. Meyer's room?"
"Well, it's on the list..."
"I'd really appreciate it if you could help me out here..." I pushed my tummy out a little more than necessary to highlight the pregnancy, and gestured to my very fidgety special needs five year-old.
"Of course, Mrs. Hagan, just a minute."
Sweet.
So, we went to Mrs. Meyer's room, which was thankfully quieter. Isaac said hi and waved to her, and let her take his photo for somethin' or 'nother (he even said "cheese!"), and then spotted the computer set up in the corner. While I handed over our school supplies (biting my tongue as the unbidden thought "here are all the supplies for the typical kids to play with*" rose and almost came out of my mouth), he walked over to the PC, pulled up a chair, and said "co-ooter, please" (which I know sounds mildly naughty, but is how he says computer...). I said, "no buddy, not here, but we can play computer at home"...and he nicely got up and moved, but was then pretty much done with the Kindergarten room.
The other kids were pretty sweet - clearly a little overwhelmed and scared, and cautiously playing with some of the toys. Isaac's been going to this school for 2 years already, but most of them have been doing preschool elsewhere - and this is a big elementary school (at least, compared to my elementary schools in Oberlin) with lots of big kids running around.
Isaac was ready to be DONE, but I wanted to check out the RISE classroom - forgive me, I forget what RISE stands for, but it's the K-1st grade classroom for kids on the autism spectrum. I asked for the room number, we walked down the hall...into Isaac's old ABA room! Hallelujah! They used the same space, and you could see Isaac's body language just relax. It was quieter down this hallway, and he was so excited to be in the room.
They'd added a big ball pit since the summer, and Isaac took a big running leap into it, and didn't leave it for 30 minutes, happily covering himself in plastic balls, then bursting out shouting "there he is!" (the answer to "where's Isaac?, don't you know...).
"Do you all mind if we stay? He's been pretty stir crazy at home..."
"Not at all - hang out!"
Sweet.
I adore the RISE classrooms...that's right, plural! I don't know how they finagled it, but the class is 6 kids (4 K, 2 1st), and there are 3 in each room, and tons of space for community activities, and private therapies, and they have a sensory-free dark corner, and it just felt so welcoming to Isaac compared with the perfectly nice, but not really for him, Kindergarten room.
Isaac's old ABA therapist had left a care package for him and his new therapist, with his favorite foods and toys, and a new Dora the Explorer movie for them to use as a reward. I was so touched that she wanted to be sure he was taken care of in his new class, and that the new therapist had spent all summer observing him working with the old ABA therapist to be sure she was ready to hit the ground running.
Suddenly, this all seemed pretty good. I had been a little disheartened that we weren't really, truly, ready for mainstream Kindergarten, which had been a sort of goalpost of sorts for us...but that the school created this space which really will work for Isaac, and that the staff is so caring and on the ball - well, how lucky are we. How really, truly, blessed.
Isaac will be in the RISE classroom only this week, and most of next, while they train the para-professionals (aka "Paras", people who basically shadow and help the children negotiate the school-day, and do some of the ABA trials and tracking), and then he'll be in the RISE classroom for most of the day, but will be joining his Kindergarten class for some activities.
So, in case you're not keeping track, here's the people working with Isaac: Special-Ed RISE teacher (that's right, the school hired a whole new Special Ed teacher specifically for this classroom...), ABA therapist, one-on-one Para, back-up one-on-one Para, Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist, Kindergarten Teacher.
This is why we are still here in Ridgefield. Why we pay the ridiculous rent and higher cost of living (groceries are ridiculous) and have given up much of our own financial goals and stability. Let me tell you, most school systems do not devote these kinds of resources for one autistic boy.
The First Day itself was kind of anticlimactic from my perspective. He's been taking the bus to this school, staying all day, and taking the bus home for a year now - I dealt with those "he's so big!" emotions last year. Isaac was just thrilled to be going back to school, he didn't really have a sense that he was in a different grade now. His favorite new school things? His headphones (each Kindergartner has to have headphones...I know, crazy...) and his new lunchbox, featuring aliens with crazy eyeballs.
Our wacky bus company was true to form and forgot to tell the bus driver to pick Isaac up (even though I'd called 3 times the week before to make sure we were all set, and on the day before to confirm one last time...) - luckily I was mentally prepared for them to mess up, and called them and reminded them to please come get him - which they eventually did. It's one of our favorite drivers again, which is loverly...and she gave us her cell phone so we could deal directly with her and not mess with the wacky bus company. I suspect that's not on the up-and-up...
At 4:10, the bus pulled in front of our condo complex, and a very tired Isaac came off. "How was school?" I asked, and he answered by smiling, and leaning all his body weight into me...worn out! Last night at dinner, Isaac said, "I want bedtime, please" - a first for us.
And yes, my quiet day(s) at home have been delicious, and made all the more so by the knowledge that there's a time limit - early next semester, it will be me and Poppy at home when Isaac goes to school, and I remember those early-baby days as being wonderful - but not the most peaceful. I'm really enjoying this moment in time when I have been given the gift of a quiet home, a flexible work schedule, a son at all-day-long school, and a second trimester of energy and enthusiasm.
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*Snarky School Supplies Thoughts - well, two things. One, Isaac isn't going to be in the Kindergarten classroom so much, so he won't be USING the supplies. And, two, many of the supplies are things he wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole, for various sensory reasons. Example: He will not hold a crayon. Will. Not.
So, yeah, buying all these required things? I'm a teensy bit bitter. That's gluten-free pretzel money, there...
