Well of course it isn't easy...

So my last post was about how nice it is to start the school year in a calm fashion. No issues to confront. The school in on board with my Deaf son. Life is good. Mainstream is really working out. My son loves it and is thrilled school starts next week.

So as a formality I contact the person who manages my son's IEP services to find out what his interpreting services will look like. Last year the plan was a team of 2 highly qualified interpreters full time. I email asking about her vacation. Lamenting the brief time we all had to enjoy our summers. Then almost as an after thought I ask the question. What will his interpreting services look like? I push send and go about my busy day.

A few minutes later I response pops into my inbox. There is a flag on the play my friends. Two new kids entered the district needing interpreters. Two interpreters quit. so now the district is short four..... yes.......FOUR interpreters. *oh sorry for shouting*

So we don't know what next year will look like. There is nothing to fight for at the moment. The school district wants my son to have his services. They are interviewing prospects. I can't force folks to apply for the job. One person I was talking to said that maybe someone could volunteer...... yes dear the same way an airline pilot could volunteer to operate on your brain. Not her fault but it is always exhausting talking to people who know nothing about it. It would be worse if that person worked for the school district so I am patient.

So while other parents are shopping for new jeans and #2 pencils I am leaving offerings to the interpreter fairies.

The School Bell Rings

Next week my son will start his third year as a mainstream student. I can't recall ever starting a year with so much calm. Since the day he was identified there was always something to fight for. There was a service or interpreter issue. There was a teacher to educate or an administrator to address. Things that seemed clear to us were always riddled with red tape and bias. This year we simply picked up his schedule and payed his fees. I woke up this morning and the first thought that came to my mind was what would go wrong?

He got the classes he wanted. We like the teachers he ended up with. What could go wrong? With years of practice under my belt I have learned anything can go wrong. So today I will contact the district to see if the interpreter team is scheduled and qualified. So far that is it. So far it is just a maintenance email to remind the school I am still watching and supportive of my son's education. As I sit here I realize the emails will slowly become his job. We have already shifted a lot of his advocating responsibility to him. Hopefully this year will not focus so much on his right to access but more on his theater and photography classes. This year will hopefully be about getting homework done and not about watching lectures and scrambling to take required notes at the same time. Hopefully this year every movie will be captioned. Hopefully this year we will be able to see what it is like to be typical.