I can't say enough about the team of people I worked with to get Aaron into the right classroom setting. Despite multiple suspensions for his aggressive behavior, there were days when the faculty was quite literally holding my hand through a rough day.
The principal (who was new to the school and brought with her a reputation for being a hard ass) showed true affection for Aaron and a desire to help him succeed. She'd sit and talk me through what had to be done, based on the policies set forth by the school board, and often cry with me as we struggled to find a solution. She and her staff spent hours out of their day working with Aaron, trying everything they could think to in order to help him succeed.
When everything "required" was done, they always went a step further. When nothing we put in place worked, they'd try something new. When he had a good day, they celebrated it! And when the IEP day finally came, I didn't feel like I had to prepare for a fight. I felt supported by a team of people who had no reason to try this hard to help my son, but had put everything they could into doing so anyway.
The outcome was Aaron being moved to a new school; One with a classroom specifically geared toward kids on the spectrum, where the teachers were better equipped to work within his accommodations as well as trained to help him through his episodes. It was a great solution that I looked forward to implementing, but bittersweet.
I have always believed that every situations is what you make of it. If you go into things expecting a fight, you'll get one. If you believe that everyone is working against you, they probably are. Putting yourself onto a high horse as your child's parent doesn't help them. Sometimes, you have to accept the fact that occasionally you have to relinquish control and trust in the system, no matter how inherently flawed it may be. Going it alone sucks, so why put yourself into a situation where "alone" is exactly what you are?
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