PPCD Evaluation

Today was Bubba's PPCD (public preschool for children with disabilities) evaluation. It consisted of an evaluation of his cognitive, behavioral, physical, mental, and speech abilities and a parent interview. I have been very unsure as to how this evaluation would go, despite the fact that we have had several private evaluations performed. The school district looks at "issues" from a classroom standpoint (how Bubba would function in a classroom and what issue would impede classroom progress), whereas the private sector seems to look at "issues" from a societal perspective (how does he function in society and are his behaviors in line with social norms).

Shortly after 8:30 am, we were called into the evaluation room. Just outside the room, the diagnostician instructed me to wait in an observation area and say good-bye to Bubba. After stealing a quick kiss and informing the adult that when he says potty he means NOW, I hurried off to my designated waiting area while she took Bubba into his room. As I entered my dark space, I noticed that it was cluttered with old filing cabinets and too small chairs. There was a mini table pushed up against the one-way glass that I could see Bubba's little face through. I immediately felt his nervousness and anxiety as four women looked down on him, watching his every move and taking notes about each single word he said. A team of four (occupational therapist, diagnostician, speech-language therapist, and psychologist) questioned him and played with him. They studied his every move, as I tried to see how he was doing. I scooted my chair one way and then the other. I stood, and I sat. I was getting frustrated because I really had no idea what was going on in the room next to me. It was like being in a movie where the person stands outside and watches the family through the window. You get the idea of what is going on but you have no idea what is being said or how questions are being answered. I finally gave up and filled out the paperwork I was given, only glancing up occasionally to make sure he was still content. After 1 1/2 hours, we were done.

Two hours later, I returned for the parent interview, while Evander watched the kids. They asked me about his sensory issues, his autistic behaviors, and his social interaction. They asked about his birth history, developmental history, and speech history. They wanted to know everything that had happened in the past 3 years in one hour. As a teacher I understand "just the facts ma'am" but as a mother I have a lot of sometimes, buts, and every now and thens to add. It is so hard to disclose all the warning signs I saw or bad feelings I had over the past three years.

At the end of my interview, they disclosed to me that the team will be recommending Bubba for special education services (PPCD and speech). I was happy and sad at the same time. In my head I didn't think he would qualify because he has come so far, but they reminded me of all the "little things" (that is how I see them compared to the other issues we were dealing with) that I had put on the "worry about that later" shelf. The team found that Bubba is of average or above average intelligence but exhibits many autistic characteristics. For instance, he barely spoke in his evaluation and when he did, he would use one-two word phrases. He is unable to decipher emotion and cannot read facial expressions. He does not engage others in his play, lines everything up, and flaps his hands.

Compared to the lack of verbal communication, severe tantrums, and sleep problems we had been having, I sort of forgot about these things, thinking I could tackle that later. I guess, though, now is later. He is communicating (he speaks at home so we know he is now capable), rarely has a severe tantrum and has been sleeping through the night for a week (although he is currently sleeping on the couch at night). So...what better time to go after emotion and social skills. I am so proud of how far he has come and I know he will come even further. Bubba will begin PPCD and speech when he turns 3 and continue to grow and recover.