Disappointed and Let Down!

It is official. Jovanna will not be attending the educational placement that we have been waiting for her to start at for more than a month. She has been anxiously awaiting her start at Edgefield and on Friday decorated a folder with her home tutor for her anticipated start at her new school on March 4th. I never got a call directly from the school to let us know that everything had fallen apart, only from others who are a part of Jovanna's team. It appears that the teachers who would have been working with Jovanna in the classroom didn't want to. They went to the school district that operates the school under the guise of "not able to meet her IEP goals". We had a final meeting this last friday with the Director of Special Education for the school district and some others. I decided it would be in everybody's best interest if I participated in the meeting over the phone by conference call because my anger and emotions are so elevated about this. I had to sit and listen to very well prepared, politically correct statements by the Director of Special Education as they tried to cover their tracks in this unspeakable thing that just happened. More than a month ago, I was told that Jovanna was accepted into their program, this was going to be the educational placement that was going to be successful for Jovanna where others have not been. They were going to spend the next month getting specialized training in Autism/Aspergers and they were going to hire and train a one-on-one who would be assigned to Jovanna.

In this meeting, I listened to them say how their was a "miscommunication", that they never really accepted Jovanna into the program. That they don't have the "physical space" nor the expertise to work with her. I listened intently through the meeting and felt like Jovanna's advocates covered our concerns and issues quite well, so I kept quiet. But when the conversation turned to this school districts grandiose plans sometime in the future to have a special school setting or classroom specifically for children with Autism or Autism Spectrum like Jovanna, I became frustrated listening to their plans because it doesn't help my child now nor answer to what they just did to us.

I explained that there was no "miscommunication". I received a call letting me know that Jovanna was accepted into their program~no mistaking that message. I was told of the plans to delay her start date to March 4th so they could spend the next month getting specialized training and so they could research more Jovanna's needs so they would be prepared with what to expect. I was told a one-on-one was being hired and trained to work directly with Jovanna. I explained how Jovanna has been anxiously awaiting her start at her new school where she believes this is the right place for her. The folder she hand decorated just a few days ago to bring with her to her new school. I explained that she doesn't even know that she will not be starting at this new school. I don't even know how to tell her what has happened. I explained that they do have the physical space and the right environment to help Jovanna, they have the missing pieces that the other schools did not have that she needed. I told them that I felt let-down and Jovanna has been let-down and I was deeply dissapointed in what has happened. And this was all said in the nicest, most p.c. way I could say it.

I am thankful to have a good team who are committed to Jovanna. They are trying to pick up the pieces and find her the best educational environment where hopefully she will have what she needs to learn the skills she needs and be successful.