We knew that moving to a new school would cause some behaviour problems for Alex. Any time we have a major transition, he tests the boundaries.
The first day did not go well (but not worse than we really expected). Lots of verbal protests, some headbanging and bolting attempts. The second day had a toileting accident and a major bolt where he actually got off school property (but then stopped because he's not familiar with the neighbourhood yet).
I had warned the school that he was likely to run and that he is both very quick and able to take advantage of momentary distraction. But like so many of Alex's skills, sometimes it has to be seen before it can be believed.
This is one situation where it would have been incredibly helpful to have the service dog already. The dog would go with him, physically slowing him down and allowing him to be tracked if he does escape. The teacher could hook the lead to Alex's belt before heading out, allowing him to have some freedom and the staff to not have to be on heightened vigilance.
But we haven't gotten any word about the fall class, which means that it will be March or April at the earliest (assuming we are even in that class, which I'm not holding my breath on).
I'm hopeful that Alex will settle into a routine and start to show them what a great kid he can be. Then he can continue the progress that he was making at his old school.
No comments:
Post a Comment