Our School Journey: Part 1

School is probably one of the most anxiety inducing experiences that parents of medically children have to navigate. Fortunately, for my daughter and I her transition from earl childhood intervention to preschool couldn't have gone better. Her early intervention team did an excellent job of assisting in the transition and supporting our family through the process. 

For me, I was terrified to allow my daughter to attend preschool. This was the first time that she was going to be away from me for a significant amount of time. The very idea of trusting someone else with my daughter's care was not a popular idea with me. Nonetheless, I took the leap and it couldn't have gone better. The team at my daughter's preschool took their time getting to know my daughter and what her needs were. We walked through everything. The staff allowed me to come in and provide training on how to perform her care, which really made me feel more comfortable about having someone else provide her care. So her first year went great. 

Then came 2020. That's where the wheels almost fell off. In March of 2020 when everyone was quarantined my daughter began remote instruction. This was very difficult for her as she is deaf and visually impaired. At that time I became her OT, PT and SLP. My daughter did not prefer remote instruction and missed going to school. She is a very social child and she loves being around people and looking at their faces. It was difficult, but we managed. 

My daughter continued with home instruction for the remainder of preschool and completed kindergarten through virtual instruction. While it was difficult, my daughter did make some gains while she was home. In the fall of 2022, we decided that it was time for her to go back in person, and that's when the wheels started to fall off.

How did the transition to school go for you and your family? Let me know in the comments.