The Road Less Traveled

Today we had Colin's final IEP meeting with our team to determine his placement for next year.  After many months of doing our own research, listening to the progress updates about Colin, hearing/touring our options, and discussing the recommendation by his team, Chris and I ultimately decided to place Colin in an inclusive setting with an in-class support teacher for math and literacy.  For us, this decision was not taken lightly and even now there are some fears of the unknown in what the future will bring for Colin.  However, we feel confident that we have made the best decision.  

 

We have weighed all of the options and while we know there are clear positives to a special education classroom with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention, there are also many benefits to being in a classroom with his typical peers and having positive peer models.  We DON'T know how Colin will do but we feel that it is something we need to try and give him the chance to show us what he is capable of. 

This has been a very emotional journey for us and we know it is really only just beginning.  When you pick a route that is not the "common" way, there are anxieties to how things will work and how he will do but what we DO know is that we will continue to support and push Colin to make sure he is as successful as he can be.  Worst case scenario?  We reassess and figure out what we need to do as little challenges may pop up. 

We are about to start a new adventure with Colin in the fall and look forward to seeing all of the ways he will shine.  We are so grateful for the foundations that his "team" at school have built for him that allows us to confidently make this decision to take this road.  We will continue to take one step at a time and make sure we do all that we can for Colin to be successful.