mommy summer school June 7, 2010

This summer we will be taking our first vacation with P. I am so excited. Of course we had to get a house so that I will be able to cook all of P’s foods and it is more convenient for all. But we will be able to enjoy an entire week on the beach.

First comes the rest of the summer, sigh. I have no idea what to do and am scrambling for last-minute ideas. I had been so busy worrying about other things I forgot I had to plan for the summer. At least P was accepted into the 6 week summer program. But it is only 4 days a week and only 3 hours a day. And then there are 4 other weeks where I have nothing planned. Some kids enjoy the break. For P the change in routine is stressful. Three months of the unknown, changing to another new school, and so much free time is daunting to me and could be a recipe for disaster in terms of P’s behavior.

Others children can go to camps or at least at his age be signed up for activities that parents can leave their children. Not P. I can’t send him off to a NT (nuero-typical) child’s camp or activity. They don’t have the support he needs. And these camps/activities now list on their sites that they don’t have aides for special needs children. It’s like P is banished from some of the fun other children are able to participate in. I have to plan for more therapy like activities or social skills playgroups. And can’t have so much unplanned time during the days.  I have about a week in a half to pull it all together.  I am coming up with a large list of activities to do with him throughout the day including lots of “field trips” for us.  I also am trying to structure time spent at home more.  A picture schedule to map out our days, organized play time to work on skills and just more of everything that he has been doing at school. 

I am still learning and forgot about the accommodations I have to plan for as he gets older. Last year I allowed him to attend a typical preschool. This year I am not able to do that, he would require too much attention from the teachers. I have to make sure he does not lose the skills he has learned over the school year. The summer is not a break for him. He has to work just as hard at my summer school. Hopefully I can plan some fun educational stuff so it seems like a break to him.

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