The best excuse! (long & personal...warning)

I've been absent from my blog because of major issues in relation to Rainer's schooling for 2010.

Suffice to say, if you have a child with a diagnosed disorder, you'd be best NOT TO TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL!!! I did and naively left my child's educational development in the hands of those who promised I could just "be Mum" this year and not "Mummy-Therapist".

HOW WRONG.

So for the last 2 weeks, I have cried more times than I'd like to remember, and wondered why I should keep fighting for Rainer's right to be around Neuro-Typical (NT) kids and in a NT school environment.

I have learned so much about myself (and how bloody strong I can be), I have learned so much about how others can manipulate you in order to get the easiest result for them (bugger your own child's well-being), and above all that, how you can have some very productive "off-the-record" chats with some very influential people.

So, where to from here?

I have an appointment with a highly recommended Neuro Psychologist to determine Rainer's cognitive abilities (very hard for an ASD child with limited language) and had very positive meetings with the new Principal of Raine's NT school and Special School.

I have an issue with a person who is employed one school, who I passed the ball to, thinking they had Rainer's best interests at heart, then produced no IEP (Individual Education Programme) all year (despite having an IEP meeting in early May), but manages to co-ordinate an information seminar for parents of ASD kids for her private consulting firm!!!!!

I have issues with people who "double dip"! You either work for the school OR do private consulting. And you only do private consulting when the paid employment work is DONE!

Don't pay for this advice! I will happily give it for FREE!!!!! After all, it's probably information she gleaned from all the parents she met with in her PAID EMPLOYMENT at the schools.

Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?

BUT ONWARD AND UPWARD.

I would whole-heartedly like to thank those who have interrupted my frantic research hours on the computer with an msn chat. At least with msn you can simultaneously bawl your eyes out and communicate -- just awesome technology.

The professionals I have spoken to FOR FREE, who understand that parents of a child with a disability/disorder, don't have spare cash to throw around for $100/hour consults. You build good faith first, then when you begin to give specific recommendations, you can charge.

Thank you to my patient and completely stressed out family. In amongst all the crap I'VE dealt with, hubby has been trying to organise finance for an auction last Friday (we didn't get it, no biggie) on top of his own job which he never seems to switch off from. Poor Mackinley has felt the strain too. We had a "Mum and Mackinley" day at the Brisbane Roar game on Saturday which was excellent time-out.

my mojo is gone!! if found please return to me :(
i miss you!

I could go on in more detail, but there is danger in that on a public forum, I don't care how few people read this blog LOL. Some things really need to remain private and so they should.

One day I WILL write that book - and it'll be FREE!!
Do me a favour -- hug your kiddies very hard and long. Sometimes we forget how "normal" our lives are and we go searching for stuff to complicate it.

Don't take your eye off the ball!!!