It's Friday night! The boys are in bed and mommy and daddy are relaxing after a very long and busy week.
This was the boys first week of Extended School Year (ESY) and my first time training teachers about Hazel. I was pretty nervous. I haven't really taught anyone how to handle Hazel before. I will admit I hate that term "handle Hazel" because it sounds like she's impossible to work with!! Quite the opposite but people do need to learn how to lead her and when to use her to help JJ.
Last week, I had a quick meeting with all the bus drivers and the aides. Due to liability the bus company would not allow me to ride the bus to and from school with the kids and Hazel (I know I could've fought it and won but I chose to pick my battles on this), so they offered to allow me to do a training for all the bus company staff. I meet the bus driver and aide for ESY and they were able to be hands on with JJ and Hazel on the bus that the boys would be riding for the summer. It went very well and I was pleased with the acceptance of the staff.
On Monday night I had a wonderful chat with Kati from ASDA. She gave me lots of great advice about how to help the staff adjust to Hazel's presence.
Tuesday morning was the first day of ESY. The bus was late (which I expected given it was the first day!) but when it arrived, the driver and aide were great. They were ready to get Elliott, JJ and Hazel on the bus and settled. I helped them adjust JJ's harness and get everyone settled. Then I drove to the school to meet with the teacher and classroom aide before the bus arrived.
I met the special education co-ordinator at the school and he introduced me to Miss R and Miss D (I don't think I can spell their last names to be honest lol!) and I walked them through some basics of handling Hazel; Hazel is always on the handlers left, relaxed arm holding the leash and when moving with JJ, hold the tether with the leash for more security, that type of thing. The teacher and aide were very excited about Hazel being a part of their classroom. The teacher chose to work with JJ and Hazel the first day. We all went to meet the bus and I showed the teacher how to get JJ and Hazel off the bus. She took over from there and did a great job. She asked lots of questions about where to put Hazel during different exercises.
The first day was very disorganized. The room where the boys are for ESY is not the teachers regular classroom, in fact she doesn't teach in that school during the year, so she was trying to figure out the classroom and all the needs of her students. I felt for her because she was really trying hard but some things were working against her. I think both she and the aide were feeling a little overwhelmed. JJ did great during the first part of the morning. He sat next to Hazel and the class played on the smartboard (yes, apparently all the classrooms on Fort Knox have smartboards).
Everything went very smoothly until after recess. Some tough transitions happened in the afternoon and JJ didn't cope well. I had some trouble staying out of things because there weren't enough hands. Hazel was great staying with him and nudging him. The problem escalated when it was time to get him on the bus to go home. He wanted to come home with me in the car. This should have been expected by me but for some reason it wasn't. He cried the entire way home and had just stopped crying when I got him off the bus at home. We snuggled on the couch and he pulled it together for the afternoon.
Mulling things over that night, I decided to leave early the next day and allow the teacher and bus aide to handle the bus transition without me. The decision was easier made the night before than the day of. JJ had another major meltdown the second day during the morning. I did leave early but it took some convincing from my friend Jen, because I wasn't sure if I could stay hands off. We also agreed that the third day I would arrive late and leave early and minimize my contact with JJ and Hazel to help him get into routine at the new school.
Third day came and we had a major issue with the bus. It had broken down and the replacement bus was insanely tight for spacing between the seats. Poor Hazel managed to squeeze herself under JJs seat but the look she gave us while doing so was pretty funny. I stayed completely hands off during the day and JJ did fabulous without me there. When the bus came and dropped JJ and Elliott off, the driver told me that between runs today they spaced the seat out (had to move JJ's seat to a different place) and so Hazel had more room.
Overall I am really pleased with how it all went. I'm thrilled with how the bus company has responded to Hazel and JJ's needs. I get to do it all again come August 1 because JJ will be at a different school with a different teacher and aides. He'll have the same bus driver though, so I am very excited to know that!
I am excited for everything that will come this week with the first full week of ESY. JJ really has responded well to having his school routine back and I know that Hazel will be with him to help him through the rough patches, she did a beautiful job of it last week, and she'll keep helping him.
