So Far, So Good

I am very happy to report that Raquel is 2 for 2 with school this week - after being out for nearly two weeks! I know that tomorrow is definitely a new day, but her temperament seems to be a bit different these days. I don't think I've ever seen her so happy. Again, trying not to get ahead of myself with the Depakote, but part of me really thinks that she is finally able to get some rest now that she's on it. Naps are still lasting around 2 - 2 1/2 hours, and she appears to be sleeping very solid through the night. The only thing different is that she wakes up really hungry in the morning - more so than usual - so I have been feeding her as soon as she wakes up.

After doing some research on her summer school program - which is only for the month of July - I have decided not to enroll her in it. I don't feel that it is a safe place for her due to the high class volume and low teacher ratios. I really wanted to keep her in a consistent routine, however, this class isn't the right place for her. So now I've got to find some fun things to do over the course of the summer.

The main concern right now is her therapy. I am beyond unhappy with how it has been handled by the district. For starters, in the IEP from January, it states that she will have two 30-minute sessions of speech therapy per week. I think she's seen the speech therapist a handful of times - all of which there wasn't even a session because they "don't get along", whatever that means. So, she basically has not had speech therapy since she started school - and speech therapy is a critical component for treating LKS. The IEP also states that she will have 30-minutes of occupational therapy each week. Not happening. In fact, Leigh, her OT, has only seen her ONCE. Completely not acceptable. And it's also not acceptable that my calls don't get returned. One day, I promise you, they will realize that I won't go away. I am very fortunate to have my educational consultant on my side, giving me great advice and feedback. She is constantly trying to keep me grounded and gets a lot of my venting. But because of her, I am able to keep my composure when dealing with the district. Thank you, Beverly. You really are a wealth of information and I appreciate having you.

I am told that in-home therapy (covered by the state) is pretty much non-existent once you transition to the school district system. But my take is that if the district isn't doing their part, and she's not getting what is recommended - and documented in writing and signed by everyone who made the recommendations - then I have no choice but to pursue other options. And I'm learning that more and more options are available to me than what is presented. I just have to continue being Raqi's biggest advocate, holding my ground - and not going away.