Travelling

It is Hannah's turn to have the class 'literacy bear' at home for a week. He is meant to travel to a different country each week. Kit told me that Hannah told him she wanted to ttake the bear to New Zealand, Hannah told me she wanted to take him to Georgia (there is a 'Flags of the World' poster in their bedroom - and she consistently chose Georgia - unfortunately the only advice I got from the twins Dad was that mean Stalin - hmmm, and a lot of research for me! So somehow I managed to convicne her that France would be a good place to visit - after all I am hoping we might get there for 'real' in the not too distant future... and we have a poodle, she was wearing a stripey french sorta top, she LOVES Ratatouille - Yep - France it is. So here a re a couple of our staged pics. Then Hannah helped me select different google images to print and paste in the Bear's book and then put together a simple story using sight words and pictures (a combination of photoes and PECS images) for her to 'tell' the story of her and the bear's adventures O?S. She loves it - I think her teacher will too - We are returning Bear and Book when a number of hte kids will be away at a gala day - I thinkt hat might give the teacher smaller numbers and more time to actually go over Hannah's story. It also gives me a bit longer to practise presenting with hannah.

So little, So Much

Well things have been quiet in the mainstream - which is actually a really good thing. It means that the school has continued to do what good schools do - cater as best they can to the kids they have. The sport of the term is basketball which Hannah doesn't like as much as gymnastics - but otherwise she is continuing on her merry way... She has a couple of gorgeous little boys who are her 'besties'. When I ask her who she played with she says their name - it is so cute. She is starting to understand about Year 1 because the teachers have been talking about it and in fact we will be meeting the principal and the kindy teachers to discuss planning for Hannah for next year soon - sigh - another transition. I am hoping that there won't be any issue with her going into Year 1 - but what supports she will need and which class she will be in and who gets the jackpot of teaching her - that will bbe up for grabs I guess. I have been trying to check out the grade 1 teachers - I see the Year 2 ones more often as I help with Multilit each week - so I know that either of them would be fine - the current Year 1 teachers sound like they'd be fine - I just don't know them as well. Her funding for support is unlikely to change so they may want to consider a bit more withdrawal time as an effective way to help develop her literacy and numeracy skills. Or of course they may consider keeping her with the same teacher which would be great. Who knows - I'll have to wait and see what comes out at the meeting when it happens.

Kit has been chosen for the school's enrichment program - which we are very proud of him for - they gave him some maths assessment and he scored well enough in it to go into the program. He has been a couple of times now (it is once a week) and he just loves it. I am glad that they have used a standardised test to decide who accesses the program - sometimes it looks to me like school simply use G&T as a marketing device - I like to see a school who genuinely wants to address the individual needs of its students and one that promotes BOTH it's learning supports and it's extension programs as of equal relevance/importance. You'd be surprised how many high schools mention G&T but make NO mention of 'special needs' - yup so to those schools I say - "you lose one if you don't welcome the other - cos I can give you the best of both worlds..."

Both twins got awards at school assembly yesterday which was nice - Han for participation and interest in a learning activity and Kit for his attitude towards his learning.

Han's reading is coming along beautifully - last night she brought home a new reader and she had such a big grin on her little face as she clearly 'read' the title "We Dress Up". Gorgeous.

Vision

Last night I watched Q & A on the abc with some excitement - as a political junkie to have the PM front up for a round of unscripted questions from the public - too good a viewing opportunity to miss. I went to their website and lodged an online question - they didn't use it - what happened was way better - quite close to the end of the show (48:55 minutes in to be exact! - you can see it on the iview) a woman stood up to give her question. She began with a courteous greeting - here is her question:
"You spoke about your own education opportunities earlier. I have a five year old daughter with Down Syndrome who has just started mainstream school. Do you share my vision of a fully inclusive education system where children with disabilities can thrive and succeed at school? And if so what are you doing to make it happen?"

Whoo Hoo - that was pretty much exactly the wroding of my own question although I had also said how pleased I was to see the government's policy on improving funding for EI services.

The PM answered:

"Yes I share your vision and yes I understand we are some way from achieving it. We've got more to do but we have as a government increased the amount of money going to support children with special needs in our schools but there's more to do. And one of the things I want to do as we review school funding is make sure we are taking into account the needs of children with disabilities better than they are taken into account now. So we're a government that's almost doubled the amount of money going into school education it's a start but there is more to do.
One of the things we've announced in this campaign is rolling out better packages of assistance. We've started a system for dealing with children with autism that enabled families to get early intervention, speech therapy, the kinds of things that can make a difference early on. We want to roll that out for more children with different forms of disabilities so that will help make a difference too.
But the vision of inclusion is a good one and we want to keep working to get that vision working in schools right around the country."

I hung on her every word. Now I could focus on what the response reveals about the state of the current system but I won't - instead - YAY for JB the special needs Mama who stood up and asked the question (cos yes we are still at that point in the discussion in this country! When you embark on the inclusive journey it feels like you are finding your way along a dark and murky path that few have gone before. The way is steep and tricky with occassional blasts of light and fresh air and fortunately if you fall down you'll probably find the clues, the red cloth swatch left behind as a clue or as comfort by the even braver souls who have gone before you). JB gave us and our kids a voice. We got a mention on national tv. How cool is that? On a show that must have blasted the ratings. We got a response from the PM that I believe was honest and heartfelt. From what I have read I think that JG and Bill Shorten 'get it' by and large - and that tey are willing to try and improve things. The introduction of a National Disability Scheme is another area that I am glad to hear them working on. So for now - I am basking in the 'face' that was given to Hannah with that response. Now to the callenges of structuring the funds, meeting the individual needs of a significant and diverse group of students - they like all the other kids there - are our future ...

Happy

I know I've mentioned this before but I feel the need to again say it - I LOVE the school my cildren go to. It is a local catholic school - not an elite private -a garden variety one - it isn't top of the My School website - it is an important part of our local community.

Each week I get to help in the kindy classroom (lucky me!) I love that. The kindy kids are awesome. Financially it is a burden but worth every penny when I think about the benefits it brings to our family and for Hannah's successful inclusion. On the other day that I don't work I help with a program called multilit which is for helping children with literacy (generally not special needs kids but other children who are struggling with reading). After multilit I call down into the kindy room to say hello to my gorgeous ones and make sure Hannah has gone to the toilet (there were a few accidents at the end of last term as she got very tired).

Today I walked in and a delightlful little girl who is in Kit's reading group called over and asked me to help her - she was writing a character profile for the 3 little pigs. Kit showed me his work - he was doing a 'typical boy's' profile of the big bad wolf - "I got my but burnt' or something like that - very well written except for the b in 'but' was facing the wrong way and the extra 't' was missing. Still his cheeky boyish grin was lovely to see.

Then I went into the writing lab where the whole class was working. Hannah sits up the front working on her writing sheets with a teachers aide. Today she was working on writing the number 3. There was lots of encouragement and positive words. Hannah proudly showed me her 'principal's award' sticker. She had been along to the principal's office earlier in the day to show off her workbook.

One of the teachers has recently bought an ipad - and she had briefly used a sightwords app with Hannah that morning. Hannah's treat for writing well was to have another go on it. When the teacher arrived it was lovely to see her enthusasim in playing with her new 'toy' and in working out how to best use it to help Han. It wasn't long before she pointed out Hannah's principal's award sticker and then added that she had got one too! I didn't ask but I am guessing that partly that was Hannah expecting her wonderful teacher to get one for all her good work too. (My twins are very good at sharing).

Han's focus teacher (a fantasitic, passionate and skillful teacher) and she are planning to spend some time together looking at it's uses in the class for Hannah. I had to tell them that we were already toying with the idea of getting her an itouch for her birthday - I can see that if it is going to get wide useage at school we might have to find the $$ for an ipad and leave the smaller more compact itouch for another year when she is older. Will have to look at the numbers though - that is one downside of having twins - on their birthday if Kit gets a dsi, Han an ipad and then they both want a party - it gets a bit expensive! and while we are by no means 'struggling' in comparison to others - we don't have much extra money - the mega mortgage and things for the twins including Hannah's weekly ST are where our 'extra' money tends to go... and while I am lucky to be able to work 4 days in 3 we are still down 25% of the wage I'd get if I could work full time...That is one of the reasons I have decided to withdraw from uni this semester - I am hoping to finish at least my postgrad certificate next year but to spend $1500 this semester as well as all the hours required to pass - I don't feel we can manage. The placement is subsidised so is a pretty reasonable cost but there is also a practicum requirement which disrupts my working life and means leave without pay.

Geraniums

I feel a bit like Eliot's mad(wo)man shaking a geranium at the world sometimes... and am so pleased that this strategy actually works sometimes (like the PRue Macsween and Channel 7 debacle). Not that I alone achieved much but the dedicated people who started the facebook group and the many (myself included) who joined in the campaign - yep it worked. How good is that??
On Thursday there was a letter to the Herald about inclusion of children with special needs in regular classes - it was a response to an article about the recent enquiry which highlights the desperate need of skilled staff better resources and more funding for inclusion in our schools. After listening and participating tot he Prue Macsween debate - and having the busy week from hell - I quickly drafted up a letter and emailed it to the SMH. I didn't take time to think much more about it because it was my first week back for the semester so I was flat chat and to top it off I had double booked myself for a uni research workshop and a tea party to help promote deeper friendships for Hannah at school. So yes click in haste...

When I finally got home on Thurs night and saw the email saying my letter had been shortlisted for publication - I nearly ahd a heart attack! I went tot eh sent items and carefully read it many times - how would it sound to x? What about group y? etc That is when Rhapsody on a Windy night came to mind...

But I am a gardener and in my garden there is not that much 'onion weed'. To point - yesterday I took Hannah to dance class (yes mainstream again!!! - although only because there isn't a spec needs class that we could go to) - it went fantastically well - and then (I failed to make the Uni worksop ...sigh) a tea party with 5 kindy kids - most of the parents stayed - the kids had a blast, the parents enjoyed chatting. Everyone there knows Hannah and a bit about DS - it didn't rate a mention - and why should it? It doens't define our existence although it is a significant part of who we as a family are.

The kids decorated cupcakes, jumped on the tramoline, 'cooked' with palydoh, played with the dolls house, had a 'concert' (using my bed as a stage - 'eyeroll'!lol). They all settled in very quickly and played as you'd expect a great bunch of 5-6 year olds to do... a really lovely afternoon worth the effort of staying up half the night making cupcakes on Friday - and yes even worth letting down the Uni researcher for - mainstream education for us at the moment is about Hannah's social evelopment and sense of belonging in her community as well as her literacy and numeracy skills after all....

The transcript

here's the transcript:

Prue Macsween: But it’s a number of issues. I mean, the, the woman is put into this room with all these special needs kids, so many of them, she should have - for a start, it’s a reflection of the bad system. These special needs kids should not be in a class with or-, you know, kids that don’t have special needs for a start, so, you know, we need to throw more money at the education system, make sure that these kids are properly administered to because they almost need one-on-one help –
Paul Murray: Yeah but, but I disagree there. I, I, I [Andrew O’Keefe: Yeah, I disagree with that too] I think that they should. I think that as much as possible–
Prue: I know I know what (all you intelligentsia?) are saying.
Paul: No, no, no. That’s rubbish.
Prue: No, it is. It’s (all police stuff?).
Paul: Come one, come on, come one. No, no, no.
Andrew: It depends on the nature of the special needs.
Paul: What they need is two teachers in the room to be able to make sure that there’s one who can cover the gap, but, but you can’t just -
Prue: No. I’m sorry I don’t agree with you.
Paul: It’s about socialising. It’s not about-
Prue: I understand that but if they’re disrupt-.
Paul: It’s not[ a lefty thing?]...
Prue: What about the kids who are quite – normal, normal and adequately able to understand. They’re being held back. It’s like girls going into school-school rooms with bloody boys. Boys are so retarded, they keep them back. (Andrew O’Keefe laughs) I mean I honestly think that we need to make sure that we have these special needs kids put somewhere where they are prop-properly trained and then slowly, once they are in a capacity of being able to-
Andrew: We’re getting head of ourselves here. That’s next week’s topic. Are all boys retarded?
Prue: Well, you are (laughs).
Andrew: I’m looking forward to hearing your views on that.

No wonder we find it so hard to get a fair go for our kids in this country!! Thank God that this is not the opinion of the people I meet - some might have been wary but they ahve been pretty easy to 'win over' - as any fair minded person should be to compelling argument - that our kids (yes 'those' to Prue) have the same rights as any kids ...

On a Break

Well we are all loving the holidays here. Of course I have failed to fulfil all my ambitious plans for going over sight words and numbers and speech and cutting etc with the twins. We have done a few things like that but not many. They are tired and really needed this break. Hannah has had an ear infection for the whole of the holidays so far - which just goes to show how run down she was/is. The brats got good Gym reports and hannah got a lovely music report too. I am not enrolling her there next term though. I haven't given up on her learning an instrument but I think we need to try another path for a while - so dance it is. She seems quite excited about it which is good. Today for example she dragged me out on the trampoline with her and broguht a tutued dancing dolly she has - she then insisted that the three of us 'dance' -so I think she is looking forward to it - which is what I wanted. A lot of that love for movement comes from her years at music - but learning an instrument that way isn't going to work for her - and relaly I can't see any way of us enrolling her there next year - hence we decided to move her now so she could settle into an alternative activity. In a year or so I am hoping (so long as she wants to) to find a small group or individual instrument tuition that suits her.
The holidays began with a kindy party - it was fantastic. Hannah had an ear infection so I let her lie low and play on her own inside for the beginning of the party but as I expected she couldn't resist coming out and joining in - she loves this group of kids - and the party was so full of pretty things and so well organised - tehre were heaps of great things to engage the children's attention. The parents and their family (sisters and grandparents I think?) were especially fantastic with hannah - treating her with respect but also looking out for her and making sure she had every opportunity to join in.
Tomorrow is another party - Hannah is the only girl invited apparently - but I don't think she'll mind.
I have also got my act together for another play opportunity. After every party Hannah always excitedly says "Hannh's party!". It seems mean to make her wait until Oct so I decided to kill the two birds with one stone. She wants a party and I want to help her develop closer friendship patterns with the other kindy kids. One of her favourite activities is to have a 'tea party' (often leaves, dirt and water!) so invites went out to 6 kids - 4 girls and 2 boys for a tea party. I chose the girls (in consultation with the twins of course!) because at each party I have watched Hannah and them interact for lengths of time easily and happily - especially trampolining - one of Hannah's other favourite activities. The two boys are to make sure poor old Kit dosn't feel like a shag on a rock - although it is hard to imagine him ever feeling like that!! The idea is for the kids to decorate cupcakes and otherwise just play - I thought I'd make sure the trampoline was ready - as well as some playdoh and the kids box of musical instruments (one of the girls has already been over for a play last school holidays where the children ended up performing a 'concert' for the adults). Once again I thought I'd put Hannah's gorgeous dollhouse out in the lounge area where it is easily accessible too. The rest is up to them - I hope it works and they have fun.
It was actually a little embarassing giving out the invites - so many of the children are friends with the twins but I want this to be about depth of friendships - I will have to make sure that we ask those other children to the twin's birthday party in October.
Kit also has his first Sibkidz activity this week - a craft and cooking mornign which I know he'll love - and hoepfully he can start ot get o know some other siblings like himself so that one day when he is older if need be - he won't feel like he is the only one with a sister with a disability. I am quite excited about it for him and he is viewing it very positively. "In my day we never had anything like that" and I think it would have been great - it may not only have provided myself and my sister some support but it may have helped us build a more positive relationship with our sister who has disabilities.