Education World® : School Issues and Education News: Wire Side Chat: Making Inclusion the Norm

Zane starts preschool in the fall. Though he will attend a private preschool, the staff there has been open and welcoming to have him attend as the first student with significant disabilities. I love their open-mindedness. However, we anticipate a struggle when he moves into the public school system two years down the line.

See, our small town ships kids like Zane twenty miles away (a forty-five-minute, one-way drive on our winding and often snow-coated and iced-up roads) to the next neighboring town to attend a center-based program. Once you get into the math, Zane would spend the equivalent of 6 ½ full work weeks riding mindlessly on a bus. In a nutshell, the district struggles with inclusion. Even worse, it expects parents and students to be happy about being excluded from our own community. I have one word for this: unacceptable.

Knowing how quickly two years can dissolve away, I am beginning my research to build a case for Zane and for other differently-abled children in our town. I found this wonderful article while searching for research-based evidence of success to center-based programs.

I welcome any comments or suggestions…and thanks for checking on Zane.


Education World® : School Issues and Education News: Wire Side Chat: Making Inclusion the Norm

EMC3

Gosh, I am so bad at updating Zane’s website. Right now, I am caught up in a cyclone of searching for a literary agent or a small publisher for my writing. Marketing is more work than the writing itself.

Zane has fully recovered from his UTI. Today, he returns to the pediatrician for a follow up. She may decide to have Zane undergo another VCUG. In layman’s terms, it is an unpleasant x-ray exam that requires the use of a catheter to check for kidney reflux. Again. I say again because this will be Zane’s second one. Poor kiddo. He is such a trooper to put up with all of these invasive tests.

On a happier note, we are in the process of putting a new communication system into place for Zane. Over the past three months, I attended EMC³ training with Zane’s therapists. From the training, we have learned how to assess his means of communication and are developing a symbol system that he can access to better communicate with those around him. We are very much in the preliminary stages, but—due to his superior intellectual abilities—we believe he will catch on quickly. If anyone is interested in learning more, you can visit http://www.everymovecounts.net/. Jane Korsten is an amazing (let me emphasize that—AMAZING) woman! The children are first and foremost with her, and she knows her stuff. The program is not something a parent can do in isolation. It requires support of the entire team. Nonetheless, I highly recommend it.

Okay, I’m off to edit my manuscript. I promise to update again soon.

Susan

Feeling Better

The smiles have returned, and Zane is on the road to recovery. Yesterday, Zane was diagnosed with a UTI (urinary tract infection). Most likely, this is a result of his kidney reflux. Back in November, his urologist suggested that Zane stop taking the prophylactic antibiotic. His pediatrician disagreed with the decision, but allowed the change. We won’t know with certainty that it is the cause of his infection until the end of the ten-day course of antibiotics. At that time, Zane may need to have another VCUG to check the kidneys for reflux.

While Zane may not have become ill due to hand touching, the whole experience has been a lesson to me: I need to stand up for Zane and keep him germ-free. I have been a bit lax in insisting on clean hands for the little guy, so I stand by my original post about hand washing.

Thank you so much to everyone who checked in on Zane, said prayers for him, thought happy thoughts, and simply cared. We appreciate each and everyone of you!