More of an update

When I got back to work yesterday, there was an update email from the Special Ed teacher with respect to S and both his laptop and his current classroom situations.

Some good news - the laptop system is finally back up and working again. That was going to be call number one made in the morning, but I was happy to hear that it was repaired while I was at the conference. Secondly, they have installed a new program on him system that will scanned written text, and turn it in to words and read back to S. The system is called Kurzweil, and although they have it on the computers in the classroom, this had not been made available to S while at home. (I thought one aspect of his software did this, and was very unhappy in the Fall when I realized it did not.) I have lobbied for him to get this system - as has the SERT - and thankfully that has now been done. Now, here is something even more incredible - they have actually trained S on how to use this new software! Yes, it's true - they have! I guess wonders will never cease.

The SERT was also emailing me to let me know that she has been successful in rearranging EA schedules, and now S will have an EA with him 100% of the time. This has proven to be very important in the French, as S tends to have more issues/concerns during this unassisted time than any other of the day.

S just told me that in addition to the Kurzweil system, they have also installed Dragon Naturally Speaking on to his school laptop, too. Now, this is a program Hubby and I actually bought way before he had his school system, but S didn't have a lot of success with it - and actually got to the point where he refused to use it. I'm not 100% sure why they gave him that, but hopefully the board will take the time to properly train him on it, and then in future if the Word Q stops working, he will have an alternative software program available to him.

I am going to send an email to the specialist today to see if the results of S's fMRI are in. I was advised that it would take at least two weeks for the final results, and we are just past three weeks, so I am hoping we will be able to learn more about what makes my youngest son tick.

Speaking of which - boy, did he EVER tick me off this morning. Non-stop acting like a total goof. I was able to to tolerate it for almost an hour this morning, but less than 5 minutes before he was scheduled to leave the house, I lost it on him.
My instructions were very clear - put your lunch in your bag, and let the dog outside. I come out of the kitchen, and he's no where near the hallway to the front door. Nope - he's chasing his cat around, trying to give her a kiss. Yeah - she runs away from him now because he never leaves her alone (I have told him countless times to leave her alone, but he just doesn't clue in.) Anyway, the dog is doing that "I-have-to-go-out-right-NOW" dance, and here is S, not even close to the door, nor seeming to care that (yet again) he is not doing what he needs to do in a VERY limited amount of time. I was mad. Needless to say, I didn't get a kiss, nor a "Love you" as he was walking out the door, but I don't care - the "easily distracted" part of ADHD has really been rearing it's ugly head lately, and I don't like it.

Okay - off I go for yet another crazy day at work...