The Opportunity. The Decision. The Move!

This past weekend was a gorgeous one! Temperatures here in Maine hit the mid to high seventies, and the sun was out in it's brightest attire. Very few clouds filled the sky, and the slight breeze felt great against my warm skin.

I had been walking both days, but not out on the trail, or looking for a fishing spot (which I would have loved to do). Instead, I was carrying boxes, bags, and more out of our old place into our new house in Auburn. Yes, we moved from the Oxford Hills area where our favorite hiking trails, fishing and hunting spots were, to the city (Auburn).

The old stuff went to the new place in decent fashion. I still have some loose ends to tie up, but all in all the move went well. Mia was with her father this past weekend, so she didn't have to deal with the hassle of the move, and she has seen the place before so she could get acclimated before her first night. My brothers were kind enough to help me move the big stuff into the new place, and I am very happy that they helped out. My family is pretty great in supporting the decisions that I've made, and this is one more instance in which they showed support!

Why did I move?
I decided on this move a while ago, with one objective in mind. Schooling options for Mia. The old school district had its pluses and minuses. But in the area of special education and options for Mia to best succeed, there were more minuses than anything else.

After a tour of the school that she would have gone to, and a few talks with some parents of kids with special needs that have gone there, I decided that there was just no way that this school could provide Mia with the opportunities that she needed in order to succeed in her battle against Autism. I kept her back from Kindergarten because of this, and I believe it was the best decision that I could have made for her, along with this move. She has continued on in her current pre-k school in developmental therapy instead of kindergarten, so she hasn't missed out on anything vital that she's needed.

Now, I'm not saying that it is a horrible school district, or that the special education department there can't provide a good learning experience for certain kids, but I did not feel like it was a good fit for Mia. They were more along the line of teaching academics to these kids. And while that's all fine and good, I couldn't see how academics could be taught to a child with virtually no communication skills. And, moreover, who is still in the learning stages of life skills. I couldn't send her somewhere that I would be uncomfortable, or constantly concerned about her progress, so we moved.

Auburn is a larger school district than Oxford Hills. So their Special Education department is as well. Here Mia will have two options for school, though I have my sights set on only one. The Margaret Murphy School (MMC).

Mia, needs constant supervision in order to succeed. Nicknamed "The Stimmy Kid", Mia would be just as happy running around crinkling and tearing up a piece of paper without anyone interfering with her favorite stim activity. In order for her to succeed, she needs a one on one who will make her sit down and learn to use PECS properly, to sign, and to hopefully one day talk. She needs to learn to discriminate between wants, needs, colors, shapes, and to be taught that stimming isn't allowed during learning time. Margaret Murphy is best suited for Mia because they can provide all of this, in addition to the ABA therapies, speech, and O.T. that she needs as well.

Overall, Mia needs to learn life skills before she can move on to academics. And I feel that at MMC she will succeed to great lengths. Mia is a high spirited and very smart little girl. She has so much potential, and to look at her you can see that there is a little person in that body that wants to shout at the world what she knows, wants, and thinks. Her facial expressions at certain phrases, sights, and funny faces let you know that beneath that lack of communication, Mia is there. Getting her out is the key. And our new little path in life will help her get there, I am sure of it.

Monday night was her first night in our new home, and I must say that my little trooper surprised me yet again. I've worked with Mia over the years to teach her that not everything stays the same, because most kids with Autism live in a routine, and when that routine is broken, all hell breaks loose. I didn't want her to have to struggle with that scenario so I taught her that things in life do change. Still though, I was nervous about her adjustment to the new surroundings. I had made sure to have all of her favorite things in plain view, and to have her favorite pieces of furniture ready to use.

When we walked in, she looked around and took note of what was there, and then led me to the bathroom. After that, it was home! She walked around picking up her favorite things and showing them to me, almost as if to say "Look mom, all of my stuff is here!". I can not begin to explain how proud of her I am! She did such a great job realizing that this was this was where we would park our hiking shoes from now on!

Needless to say, it's been a very busy few days, but it is well worth it. I will give anything and everything up to make sure that Mia gets every opportunity that she deserves. To see her grow and succeed in life is my main goal, and I will go to any length to help her get there!