I Feel Some Changes Coming On

When Brandon was born I never thought about school districts, community, living independently and inclusion.  I was just trying to figure how to care for Brandon and hope that he stayed healthy.  Brandon was eligible for ECI (early childhood intervention) benefits soon after we left the hospital. Those services were maintained until Brandon turned three and he was eligible for services through the school system.  At the time Brandon and I lived behind DPS in Austin.  I loved that house.  I had a sound proof room for all the music I had going on at the time, it was paid off and it was close to everything.  But what I didn't like was the school district.  Where we lived did not have school services for kids at the age of 3.  I never really thought about the school district when we bought the house many years before Brandon was born.  AISD offered services in several school districts surrounding the area.  We choose the elementary school program in northwest hills.  I knew this program would be fine for a few years but I needed to make a decision about where we should live and where Brandon should go to school before kindergarten.  I thought about living in Austin at various school districts.  I thought about the Eanes School district and then I looked at those in the suburbs surrounding Austin.  At the time several districts in the suburbs had class action suits concerning special ed students or they did not have a great reputation. 

I decided that in the long run it would be better to live in smaller community where people would think of Brandon as part of the community for his life and would be more willing to be part of his solution to living independently.  The thought is if Brandon was in the school with his peers who's parents were also part of the community people in the community would get to know him and be more comfortable supporting him in the future.  Plus, I also believe a smaller community is a safer environment.  There is always the problem with transportation but smaller communities always seem to come up with solutions.  I still believe this for Brandon's future.  But what I didn't know is that smaller community schools do not have the resources for some kids as complicated as Brandon. 

So Brandon and I sold our house in town and built a house in Dripping Springs after I did a great deal of research on school districts.  Dripping Springs really tried to educate Brandon as best they could but they just did not have the expertise for a kid with multiple challenges.  What they did do great was a sense of community.  Brandon was known by all the kids in his class by name and he participated in all the same events his peers participated in.  The school really didn't have the resources to separate kids, so some form of inclusion naturally happened.  However, it became clear that the school just did not know how to educate Brandon and did not have the resources to address his multiple challenges.  We ended up in a lawsuit with the school over the school's ability to perform a psychological evaluation on Brandon.  The school wanted to do this evalution on their own, but refused to provide me with the names of the tests the school would use to do the evaluation.  Some tests are not appropriate for kids who are non-verbal and we wanted to make sure those were not used to evaluate Brandon.  The school refused to provide the names of the tests and they filed suit against Brandon (there is now a law that requires the schools to provide the names of the tests).  We were in courts for 1 1/2 years until I finally realized I was trying to get a school to educate Brandon in the way I felt he needed to be educated but the school was never going to be able to meet his needs.  It was a very sad day when I removed him from school and began homeschooling him. 

For the next 18 months I hired a special education teacher, many UT students and other volunteers.  We tested Brandon's levels and found he was below grade 1 on some subjects and about 18 months behind on others, so we started all over in his education and the TEKS and by the end of 18 months he was reading at a 4th grade level, he was using his communication device in full sentences and he was ready to go to a new school.  What he was missing was socialization.  For a kid like Brandon who is non-verbal that is very big.  We also found out during that period of time that Brandon has vision problems which made learning so much harder. 

I looked around at surrounding school districts and my choices were Southwest Austin, Lakeway and Eanes.  I still was of the belief that a small community is where Brandon should ultimately be, but this was a temporary setback for 6 more years.  I looked at renting a place in Eanes or buying property after I compared the districts.  We found a place in Eanes with a mobile home that needed a great deal of repair but was liveable.  The elderly woman who owned the property had a child with cerebral palsy who died at age 16.  She really wanted us to have her property and we really liked her.  We closed in two weeks.  Brandon and I fixed up the property, and had it completely furnished and ready for when school began.  Brandon started school in the Eanes school district in middle school.  I cant really say enough good things about his education.  He has vision services, speech, use of his communication device, he has been in band, choir, drama, film classes and special Olympics.  It really was night and day difference between what he was receiving in Dripping Springs academically.  But I do think Brandon has lost the sense of community.  Eanes' model tends to isolate the kids in their own classes with the exception of about 1 or 2 semi-inclusion classes a semester.  We gave up the community for education for 6 years.  Brandon will graduate as a senior in May.  Over the six years we stayed less and less on the property in Eanes, but have owned it, paid the bills in it and payed taxes on it.  I have provided transportation for Brandon to and from school and we have worked to maintain the Eanes property. 

After Brandon graduates he will continue with the 19+ program.  The 19+ program is a program designed to transition young adults into the community, help them become as independent as possible and train them for jobs for adulthood.  This is the most intensive program Brandon will have access to as a young adult.  He will have three years to work through the transition and then he is on his own.  There are other adult programs but none as intensive as these last three years of school.  So I believe I need for Brandon to be in the best program possible to meet his needs. 

As Brandon moved through this year I re-approached Dripping Springs because I still believe a smaller community is a better fit for Brandon for support and job opportunities.  I found out that Brandon would be the only child in Dripping Springs 19+ program and that he would most likely get his job skills and independence training on campus at the high school because we would be the only kid and because of lack of resources for one child.  The Eanes 19+ program has over 30 kids in the program and is housed off campus.  In Eanes Brandon is already working off campus every single day.  We will be able to develop his own schedule which will include exercise, socialization, job training and independence.  However due to budget crunches Eanes has questioned our residency status for next year's eligibility.  So we need to make some tough choices.  The most powerful input I have received was from another parent who told me that Brandon only has 3 more years in which to get Brandon his most intensive training and I really need to utilize the next 3 years to give Brandon to most opportunity for the future. 

Reluctantly, I have made the decision to move into the Eanes School District for possibly the next three years.  I will still have our place in Dripping Springs, but will try to rent it out because I really love our place here.  I put a contract on a condo close to Zilker a few weeks ago.  It is within walking distance from the walking trails, has a great swimming pool, is in a secure complex and has a fabulous view of the greenbelt.  I was the best option for living in the district.  I am still working through the details of the closing, but I am fairly sure we should be able to close in early May and get the place ready to move in over the summer.  I know - I will own three places, two of which I don't really want to own.  Sometimes life takes you in strange directions.  I also know that to some of you, you may think this is very extreme for Brandon's access to education.  I really wont feel good about myself unless I can say I have done everything I possibly can do to help Brandon be a success for the future.  What will we do in three years?  I have no idea for now but I will let you know. 

So for now I am seeing some changes in the future and I am thinking they are only for the best.  I still believe in community and don't know what is next in the future.  So stayed tuned.

Leah