These came home in Austin's backpack today, I just had to share them. I feel like yet another barrier for Austin has been knocked down. Austin has FRIENDS!
Translations (in case needed):
1. He always does the movements in Spaulding, Your Friend Crispin
2. Austin you are my best friend.
3. I know that you have autism but you are nice though, from Rebecca
4. I fill your bucket by being your friend
From Adam to Austin
In explanation of these heartfelt notes from members of Austin's class, I need to let you know that he is in a Positive Behavior Support Model School in a Varying Exceptionalities Class. He has a 1:1 Paraprofessional with him at all times, and he fully participates in the same curriculum as the rest of his class.
. Today, his class discussed the book "How full is your bucket?" The book shows kids how positive things said can make people feel better and happier. The class went on to "Fill each others buckets".
Austin's Behavior Assistant, Miss Nicole, and I burst into tears when we read these papers. Here are these adorable, loving children with various disabilities of their own, and their amazing teacher, Mrs Andres, filling Austin's bucket. They are teaching him by example how to be a friend. They have embraced him completely.
His 11th birthday was last week. He came home with hand-made birthday cards from each child in his class, each and every one a perfect masterpiece crafted with love and care. Every card addressed one of Austin's favorite things, whether it be through a drawing, or a wish that he would get the Thomas Train he wanted. These children truly are friends in every sense of the word to Austin.
So, why share this? Well, it actually is a reinforcer for me, that I wanted to share with anyone that will listen. I have pushed for Austin to have time with his non-disabled peers, from the very beginning. I don't mean the illusion of inclusion we see in many Florida schools. I mean the real one, the one that our children are entitled to by Federal Law in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is called Least Restrictive Environment. Austin was included at a local elementary school for several years, while attending his Center School. He would go over and spend an hour with a Gen Ed class. The kids loved him, and he loved going there. eventually, his behavior reached a point that he could no longer go to that school, even with his aide.
I have wanted to talk about inclusion for a while, because I do believe so strongly in it. I understand that I am not an educator, however, it makes sense to me that the only way for Austin to learn how a typical child behaves in a classroom, is by being in a classroom with typical children. Yes, he is in an ESE classroom, but the kids in his class are indistinguishable from the rest of the children in the school. The really terrific part is that they are treated the same as any other classroom in the school.
I have been to an IEP recently for a middle school, where I honestly felt like children with autism and other disabilities were allowed to share the same building with the typical kids, as long as they didn't mix with the other children at the school. Now mind you, all of the Least Restrictive Environment percentages were filled in on the IEP.This child was going to have 33% of his schooling with his non-disabled peers. In looking closer at what that exactly meant, I found a few "interesting" points. The IEP stated that he would spend time with his non-disabled peers passing between classes, yet I distinctly heard the teacher say her class literally uses a separate hallway for her class. It was also stated that he would have Recess with his non-disabled peers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in our district, most ELEMENTARY schools are cutting recess due to mandatory PE. When exactly did I miss the addition of Recess to a Middle Schooler's day? We asked for a 1:1 aide to help him to spend more time with typical children. I so hoped they wouldn't do it, not this time, but...of course the 1:1 Aide is actually MORE restrictive than the classroom he was being assigned to. Give me a break! Do they really think any of us are buying this anymore? Really?
I have no problem with my son being placed in an ESE classroom, been there, done that. What I do have a problem with is "professionals" trying to convince me that studies (yes, she even read from one to us) show that it is best for our kids to be in these special classes that have less supports. I have seen my son's progress academically and socially, and even emotionally in his current placement with a 1:1 Paraprofessional. Honestly, is it better, or cheaper?
After 7 years of "doing it their way", Austin moved into his current setting. In his old setting, a Center school for the Developmentally Disabled, his role models had Autism among other disabilities. The class worked on their ABC's and 123's for the bulk of his day, a skill Austin had mastered in Kindergarten. He worked on HIS IEP goals for about a half an hour later in the day. My son was hitting himself over 600 times in a school day. He was there to be educated, not housed. He was learning nothing from the other children in his class other than how to have even more behaviors. He parroted many of theirs.
Fast forward to today, he learned how to fill his friends' buckets, he is the class clown at times, and yes...he does lead the whole class in Spaulding Phonics because he knows every move, he learned them back when he was allowed to be educated in a General Ed setting. When I go into his classroom, I see happy children learning and sharing and being friends. The big boy in the middle, with the loudest laugh, that's my son. Which is better, really?
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