ANOTHER LETTER TO SWITZER LEARNING

GOT ANOTHER INQUIRY AS TO WHY I WAS TRYING TO START A CENTER AND SWITZER LEARNING IN TORRANCE IS STARTING TO FOCUS ON NEEDS OF THE AUTISTIC COMMUNITY . I SENT BACK A REPLY THAT I THOUGHT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN MY JOURNAL

JUST SOME THOUGHTS AGAIN ABOUT THE NEEDS OF OUR KIDS AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO:

HELLO WENDY BOY I COULD WRITE A BOOK FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF AN ADVISORY PANEL ANYTHING TO HELP EVEN ONE PARENT OR CARE-GIVER LIVING WITH AUTISM.
AS FOR MY CENTER I WILL FORWARD A BRIEF OUTLINE OF WHAT I AM TRYING TO START BELOW-- THERE IS SUCH A MASSIVE NEED FOR ALL THINGS PERTAINING TO AUTISM AND AN INCREDIBLE VOID IN SERVICES AVAILIBLE-- EVERYTHING IS A STRUGGLE OR A FIGHT WHETHER IT BE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR A REGIONAL CENTER  AND I AM SICK OF IT.   MY SON-DAKOTA IS 19 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE HAD TO FIGHT AND FIGHT AND FIGHT FOR EVERYTHING HE HAS RECIEVED--I AM A SINGLE MOM AND I HAVE VIRTUALLY NO OUTSIDE HELP EXCEPT MY 79 YEAROLD MOTHER WHO LIVES WITH ME AND IS BECOMING LESS ANND LESS ABLE TO HELP WITH MY SON --ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THE MOST IMPOSSIBLE THING IS TRYING TO FIND SERVICES THAT DONT BANKRUPT YOU AND SERVICES YOU CAN TRUST.   WHEN YOU CHILDREN ARE SMALL AFTER YOU HAVE GOTTEN OVER THE INTIAL SCHOCK OF THE DIAGNOSIS YOUR FOCUS IS ACADEMICS BY THE TIME THEY REACH JUNIOR HIGH YOU ARE DEALING WITH PUBERTYAND HERE COMES HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE YOU KNOW IT THEY ARE "GRADUATING" TO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND DO WHAT???? THE COMMUNITY BASED PROJECTS ARE A JOKE-LIKE HANGING UP HANGERS AT A THRIFT STORE AND THE SCHOOL IS OBVIOUSLY DIVIDED BETWEEN THE "NEURO-TYPICAL KIDS AND THE CHALLENGED ONES  EVEN THE TEACHER DONT SET AN EXAMPLE TO INCLUDE OUR KIDS  AND ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND YOU CHILD IS 20  HAD SPENT 17 YEARS IN SCHOOL -HASNT LEARNED MUCH THAT WASNT ACTUALLY TAUGHT IN THE HOME HAS NO FRIENDS AND CANT LIVE ON HIS OWN--   WHEN YOU CHILDREN ARE LITTLE IT IS HARD TO THINK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY BUT IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT IS  THEEEE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR THESE KIDS-- NOT THE REGULAR STUFF BEING TAUGHT NOW BUT "NATURAL SETTING" INSTRUCTION SIMILAR TO WHAT DR.RICK LAVOIE TALKS ABOUT.  YOUR CHILDREN ARE IN SSCHOOL 13 TO 17 YEARS BUT THEY ARE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR DECADES-- THERE IA NO SPECIAL ED TACO BELL -- NO SPECIAL ED LIBRARY -- NO SPECIAL ED ARCO STATION --NO SPECIAL ED STATER BROTHERS WE NEED TO DESENSITIZE THESE KIDS TO THEIR ENVIROMENT AND EDUCATE AND TEACH TOLERANCE TO THE COMMUNITY. OK I AM GETTING OFF MY SOAP BOX FOR NOW--