A Fish In Water

     Feels like we have been through enough this school year and any happy endings have been a welcoming surprise. Jacob struggled this year, but I have seen so much growth as well.  Not just the belly hanging out of pjs and pants turning into waders type of growth either. He has been doing really well with his ABA therapy and seems to have done really well in speech and social group too. He seems more engaged with others around him and has been working on including peers and playing nicely together.  I hate to make more changes for next year, but I have signed him up for an online homeschool program next year.
      I think he did great this year, but I want to give him more. I feel like I might of been lacking and it was a juggling of sorts too. I basically was his curriculum coordinator and sent all his work to be completed at ABA.  It was nice to have control of what he struggled on and tailor it to where he was at academically.  I felt like I finally knew where he was at and what he needed. But I still had that need to have him in an accredited program.  I felt like I might be missing something important. He just took the placement tests for this new program. I don't know why I'm surprised, but they said he should be in fourth or fifth grade. He is a 1st grader.......I worked hard on second grade last year with him and did know his math skills were that far. But I can't imagine him skipping that many grades in a new program. I told them 3rd grade for next year. I hope I'm not doing the wrong thing, my thoughts were to get him adjusted to the new program next year and after that he would surely qualify for the gifted program  the next year and take more challenging  courses. I struggled last year too.
     Thinking he would go back to public school. People questioning why we didn't give the public school a second chance.  I held out hope that he would be able too, but after this year I can see why it will not be an option for years to come. Call it a mother's intuition or whatever, but he needs ABA like a fish needs water. Don't get me started on the fact that this whole skipping grades thing never would have happened at his old school. Because " He has an IEP, he can't skip grades". Yes lets keep focusing on his disabilities and ignore his abilities.....
    I was also surprised he did well in ballet this year. He moved up, but struggled this year once they introduced the barre exercises. I will be waiting till late summer to see if he wants to continue. He seemed so pleased with himself for making it through the classes and the end of the year showcase.  He needs the break right now both from dance and school. Summer should be a good time for him and he has earned a break.