The big S is coming....SCHOOL!!!

Honestly, I am rather stressed. For most parents the beginning of a new school year is kind of exciting. Another year older a brand new set of accomplishments and extra-curricular activities. For me, Mother of a child with Asperger's, it is a brand new set of worries and struggles. I remember dropping Mason off in the mornings. He was happy and excited and ready to meet the day head on. The child that I picked up was completely different. Every day I saw that sad look of defeat on his face and it broke my heart. A child whose spirit was broken because the school system failed him. They couldn't or wouldn't understand him crushing all the excitment and curiosity he had inside him for the expierience that is suppposed to educate and enlighten him. I am preparing myself to be called to the school constantly. To have to go up there and gripe and complain about the treatment of my son. I can only pray that this year the school has learned that I AM one of those parents that will be up there the first time I don't like what goes one. To recap. Besides all of the things that happened that I previously blogged about. There was twice when the school let my child wander around. I was taking him directly to the classroom everyday. Eventually I was told that I couldn't do that. The time before the bell rang was the teacher's "personal" time. I was told I had to take him to the cafeteria to wait with the other children. Naturally, I was concerned and asked if there was going to be someone there to make sure that Mason made it to his class on time and make sure he didn't wander off. I was assured that there would be. There wasn't. Once Mason was found wandering outside in the parking lot. He got in trouble and I was angry. When they asked him about it he told them he was waiting for me to pick him up. I had told Mason when I dropped him off at school that I would be picking him up early to go to the dentist. As a result of previous experience, I learned I had to make Mason aware of any schedule changes in advance and talk to him about them or a meltdown would ensue. Mason would get really agitated when his schedule was disrupted or something happened he wasn't used to. Obviously you can't prepare them for everything cause you don't know when things are going to come up. But Mason was not trying to wander off He was waiting for me to picking him up although he didn't understand that I would come and get him when I arrived he only knew he was ready to go to the dentist. On another occasion, the school called at around 8:30 to ask me if Mason was going to come to school that day. They just assumed that we were running late which happened sometimes when we were having a "meltdown" morning. I informed them that Mason had been dropped off in the cafeteria at 7:45 that morning. I started to freak out until the secretary told me that they had found him and that he had been wandering the halls. One of the events that sent me into a tail spin is the day that Mason's teacher spanked him in the classroom. Now I got conflicting stories on what really happened. I got a call saying that Mason's teacher had spanked him. I drove right up to the school. His teacher met me in the hall and said that she could see I was angry. In the hallway, the teacher told me that she told Mason if he misbehaved again she would spank him when he acted out again she said she popped him on the butt in the classroom and sent him to the principals office. Her exact works, "I got upset at him and spanked him." So first she told me she disciplined him in front of other students but worst of all that she spanked him when she was mad. I Then went into the principals office when the principal informed me that they had brought him to the principals office and he was spanked there so which was it. Did it happen in the classroom or did it happen in the principals office or did the teacher realize she screwed up and tried to cover her butt so he got it twice. I was so mad I was seeing red and there response. "You didn't sign a paper saying we couldn't spank." My response, "I didn't sign a paper saying you could." In the aftermath, there will be a paper on file stating they are absolutely not allowed to spank for any reason. These are just a few of the things that cross MY mind when I think about the beginning of a new school year. If last year has taught me anything, is that I am prepared to deal with the school. But I am also scared. I am required by law to trust the care of my child to these people for eight hours out of his day and I can't even trust them to make sure they know where he is. Normal parents are worried about how well their children are doing learning wise. Me. I have to worry whether or not my kid is going to make it home in one piece. If any other parents of children like mine are reading this, I understand your pain and maybe if you are just starting school Mason's expieriences will help you to safe guard your child from a school system that is failing children like ours.