Look out school here we come!

Two years ago we were ready for the next step. Nolan had aged out of the speech program he was a part of in Oxford, MS at the age of 5. We didn't feel quite ready for a school environment so we pursued a school in Jackson, MS called Spectrum Academy. This waiting list was forever long but we put Nolan's name down and prayed for a miracle. Little did we know that miracle was coming in a different place. Nolan did so well with the little bit of ABA therapy we managed to get while in Grenada so we got on the waiting list at an ABA clinic in Jackson called Canopy Solutions that could offer more hours. We figured it would work until we could get him into a specialty school. Long story short Nolan got into the ABA program and we never got that call from Spectrum Academy thank goodness. God knew exactly where Nolan needed to be.

I quit work and Nolan and I started driving to Jackson a few days a week for full days of ABA therapy. I was required to attend parent training classes there as well and that proved to make all the difference. I learned that you can take your child to the best therapy in the whole world, but you have to apply it in the home environment to be the most successful. At first Nolan went reluctantly. It wasn't very long until the was begging to get out of the car the minute we pulled into the parking lot! Everyday wasn't easy. It was actually very hard work for him.

Behavior therapy isn't for everyone. And it isn't something you do to fix bad behavior. Nolan learned how to adjust to things outside of his world and we learned how to enter his. Through behavior therapy he is so much happier, is talking and using words correctly, plays with others, and copes with being out in public so much better! He knows his ABC's, colors, numbers, and way more than we knew was already in that amazing brain of his! He is mostly potty trained and is now even tolerating haircuts! ABA didn't fix Nolan because there is nothing that needed to be "fixed." What it did is give him and us the tools we all needed to make his life a little easier for him and help him to be a more independent and happy little boy.

We could continue to do our daily commute to Jackson for ABA but Hunter and I have decided it's time for Nolan to be in a school environment. It wasn't an easy decision, but so much of what he is ready to learn would be better in a school setting with other kids and a classroom structure. He isn't ready for a desk just yet; it just isn't how he learns best. We went to several different schools in Jackson, MS and one in Memphis, TN. I always said as long as we were able to do better for Nolan with special therapies and schools we would so we never really considered public school. Nothing against it; we just focused on specialty schools for speech and autism. The schools we toured were fine but just didn't seem like the right fit for Nolan. Something kept nagging at me to look at public school. I'm pretty sure it was God.

You see, I asked some special prayer warriors to pray specifically for Nolan and us as we find his next step. It makes me laugh out loud to even type this. I told God (that was my first mistake) that there were three schools I was looking at for Nolan and I really wanted His guidance and wisdom to know while was best for him. None of these options were public school. But dang the idea kept poking at me. So Hunter and I asked around and then took a tour. The staff and classrooms were nice and then the last class we went it just felt right. It looks perfect for Nolan and the teacher seems too good to be true. Everything else just faded away and needless to say we are very excited about this new adventure! I am no naive enough to think that it will all go smoothly. This is a huge transition for Nolan as he has traveled to therapy since he was 3 years old. He's never been in a classroom either. I have never been a stay a home mom that actually stays in the same city the entire day. ha! Big changes mean big adjustments but I'm confident it's the right choice for us. God laughed at my prayers I'm sure, shook his head at me, and said "oh honey just hang on a second." He gave us peace we weren't even looking for and I'm so thankful for that and everyone who prays for our boy. Please continue to pray for the transition coming up and for the sweet teachers about to encounter this kid! Ha! He has exceeded our expectations in therapy the past two years and we can't wait to see how far he will go in school!