It has been awhile since I have written. I have a lot to say so I decided to do it this way.
Being a mom is tough. It helps when you have a village to help you. You know, friends neighbors, teachers ect. When you have a child with special needs your village grows. It can be a great and wonderful thing. More people to support you, more people to help your child grow, more people who help you be excited about the small things. However, the more people involved, the more it can seem overwhelming, the phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen" comes to mind.
Even with this expanded village the child's parents have the first and final say on all regards to the child. This is where my rant begins.
Miles has been using a tablet with a communication program for about 1½ years now (I think my math is correct). He is still learning how to uses it because sometimes skills can take him awhile to learn (plus he is stubborn). It was decided to get it so he could be on the same communication page with school, home and all this therapy. For most things we are on the same page and it great.
The problem is ABA therapy (Applied Behavioral Analysis). The person who is in charge of his programs has be butting heads with me and the speech therapist for months now. She thinks the talker should be set up a certain way, different than how it is set up EVERYWHERE else. She thinks she is making it easier for him.... She agrees everything should be the same and uniform but HER way.
THIS IS MY CHILD'S VOICE!!!!!!!
Her actions, her insisting, and now and email she sent to speech therapy really has me sitting on the line to take me child out. She told the therapist she wanted the talker a certain way, that she wanted speech to do it the same way and for them to tell me to do it that way too. HELL NO! That is not how this works. (P.S. I just had to stop typing to answer a call from ABA, he session is cancelled tonight, oh well)
The best attitude to have for a special needs child, or really any child, is knowing what challenges they have, but focussing on the stuff they are capable of. Most of Miles' village believe he is capable of so much, more than he shows us. I love them for that. This is why I am frustrated with ABA. The way she wants the talker is like her telling me that she doesn't believe in his ability to communicate. That she is focused on what parts he doesn't use instead of what he does use.
