Special School vs. Regular School - An update on my son with autism

My son is doing better than I've ever imagined. He still has problems with his speech, however, his behavior has improved so much over the years. He's now 8 years old this year. I wanted to share my thoughts on whether you should be sending your child with special needs to a Special School vs. a Regular School. 

We used to send our son to a special school in Mandaue City, Cebu called Prime Center Foundation, however, after 2 years I've noticed my son didn't have much improvement. During the first year though, my son developed his writing skills and motor skills but I was a little disappointed by the lack of topics being taught at the school. The teachers focused more on his writing and focus on other topics besides the alphabet. I knew this because my son also undergoes Occupational Therapy twice a week at the time and his therapists told us that Vaughn's vocabulary was very limited. He didn't know how to identify even the basic things like spoon, fork, door, floor, days of the week, etc. 

Although, I truly appreciate the work that the teachers at Prime Center Foundation have contributed to my son's development but I felt that they were undermining his capacity to learn. I asked for God's help before we made our final decision to transfer him to a different school. The school was also an hour from our place which is another factor that made me decide to try a different approach because I've noticed that my son was exhausted from our trip to and from the school every day. 

I think it was God's plan to help us realize that it was time for Vaughn to study at a different school. The school just near our place called Green Rose Center for Academe is a regular school but the owner and Directress was kind enough to accept my son and up to this time he attends this school. So when do we know whether to transfer to a regular school or not? Observe your child more  and try to assess his ability to absorb information. At first it was such a challenge for Vaughn because he didn't know a lot of things and was not used to answering homework and different topics like Math, Language, Reading, etc. But after a few months at his regular school, Vaughn's development improved. 

Vaughn's school also taught my husband and I to always find time to teach him at home. This way our son will develop study habits. Fast forward to today and to my surprise, Vaughn became a Bronze Awardee at Green Rose Center for Academe. It was more than I've ever hoped for. God knows how much tears I've shed in the past worrying about my son's future. Now, I'm no longer afraid because I know God will be there for my son. So if you have a child with autism never give up. Do your very best to help your child achieve his/her potential and always seek God's help.