Post #9 Two more schools on the list

After being discouraged by St. W, Pat and Dan visited Linden Grove, another school on the Autism Scholarship list.  They had a good sensory integration program, like doing 10 pushups before doing an activity, but they were not focused on academics, which is one of Eli’s strengths.  The children at Linden Grove were a few years older than Eli, and had much more severe symptoms.  Pat said she saw lots of stemming and she did not want her son to become accustomed to that and think it was normal or a way to express himself.  The Next school on the list was Queen of Angels.  The problem that Pat and Dan had with this school was that all of the money from the scholarship would be used, with out providing any services (much different than the current situation at the public preschool).  There was not much of an art program at Queen of Angels.  Even though Eli didn’t like it at first, art has helped greatly with his fine motor skills.  To Eli, art used to be drawing a number, but he started getting that art is social, and that has been so beneficial to his social development.  When he comes home from school now, he draws sometimes.  It is so great to see Eli doing something creative!  He is beginning to get that it is all about functioning in a group, and he has made all this progress at the public school he started at.  Maybe it was the best fit for Eli.