Educating the Whole Child: Special Education is not a Label
My life as a mom never stops-- even if I am teaching. I am extremely grateful for wonderful influences, support outside the classroom, as well as friends who get me. However, this blog post is not about my friends who have children living with autism; this post is about reality and raising a son who has autism. I know many can relate to this, because you walk the walk every day. For those of you who don't know what it's like to live with a family member who has a disability or autism, take a walk in our shoes for one day. I do what I do as a mom, wife, and teacher because my son and husband deserve the best. I believe God gave me Cole because I couldn't love another human being more (besides my amazing husband, Cole's dad).
I feel I need to write this, simply because people are ignorant. My husband, son, and I moved over Christmas to a very cozy duplex in University Park. I have had numerous people ask me why we moved. My answer has been vague and I have said it's because we needed to downsize from our big home-- yes our very big home, because my husband's company sold in April. This is partly true to an extent, but the main reason we moved is because I wanted the BEST F.A.P.E. (Free and Appropriate Education) for Cole. We searched and toured private schools last year, because I knew he was going to need more in high school. I applied as a substitute in Highland Park ISD as well as Richardson ISD and to my surprise, both school districts accepted my application. I was shocked and impressed with Highland Park ISD so much that I knew this was the right school setting for Cole.
Many parents of children living with autism will understand why we moved. I have two very good friends that have home schooled or moved because they wanted the very best education for their child. I considered home schooling Cole, as I appreciated the curriculum that was presented to me by the wonderful Carol Reynolds, but I knew Cole needed interaction with others. I don't want to put in writing how amazing the special education program is in Highland Park ISD, but I feel beyond blessed to have found the right school setting for Cole. My son is brilliant and he finally has the right curriculum that addresses his autism. I have cried many nights over the years wondering if he truly was receiving the best education possible. Early intervention and education about autism is something that should be addressed in ALL pre-schools and pre-school PTA's. For those of you new to my blog, each school district in the state of Texas has a program called PPCD (Pre-school Programs for Children with Disabilities). I did not know this until Cole entered Kindergarten. Cole's first pediatrician didn't know this either, nor did his speech therapist (new to the area). I feel this information needs to be shouted to the rooftops, because early intervention is a must for any child living with autism.
I now digress, because we didn't have PPCD until Kindergarten. Listen to your gut, don't take no for an answer, and realize that if your child is different, it's okay. I knew in my heart Cole was different, but that didn't mean I didn't love him any less. I feel as a music educator and now special education teacher, I should have known Cole had autism. Looking back, I can now clearly say he had autism from birth. Robert Giesler and I knew there was something different. We worked together to make a plan for Cole. What did Cole need and how was he going to receive help at the young age of 3? Neither of us knew Cole had autism, as he didn't show all the symptoms of a true diagnosis. Once Cole started Kindergarten, he was finally diagnosed as having Autism Spectrum Disorder, PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified). Looking back to the year 2007 (when Cole started Kindergarten), I would have never known the barriers he was going to break, simply because I could only live day to day and not year to year.
Our story is nothing short of a miracle, because we lived outside the box. Cole has been to New York too many times to count on one hand, has experienced learning in so many different settings, and has been educated outside the classroom on so many occasions that I have lost count. I don't regret one minute taking trips during the school year, because who can say they got to visit the Smithsonian and learn about outer space, the judicial system while in session, and actually meet Ben Stiller while in New York? Because of Cole's real life education, he has been able to meet some pretty amazing people, engaged in hands on learning, as well as make friends from all across the U.S.A. I feel because of the hands-on learning outside the classroom, this is why Cole has flourished in life. He amazes me every day, and because of music and "Jersey Boys", his silence was broken at the age of 8. Cole only said three words, pizza, Star Wars, and sh-- (you fill in the blanks) and what shocked me more than anything was that my son found his voice through Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
I will be sharing my knowledge, truth about living with autism, and how music broke Cole's silence on Friday, February 12th, to a packed audience in San Antonio, TX. Why did God pick me as Cole's mom? I truly believe it is because we really are the same person with a lot of the same tendencies and eccentricities. We act a lot like each other, we could be twins in looks, and our personality is one in the same-- we don't know a stranger! Educate the whole child: don't write off the student who is brilliant, but just hasn't found their voice. Autism is not something that can be cured, but through intervention, an open mind, and loving heart, it can be manageable.
