From Early Intervention to Preschool and back we go

Round & round we go. Only this ride isn’t fun ANYMORE!! *sigh* Poor Colin. We are having the hardest time getting this little guy the services that he needs, no wonder he’s a mess!

Colin transitioned from Early Intervention (EI) to Preschool (CPSE) on April 13th. Which made him eligible for MUCH more services, if you can remember that post. So for the past 3 weeks we’ve all been working HARD on finding him a center based program. That was a no go. So then we’ve been working even harder on finding him the correct therapists to work this out. As of right now,  only OT and speech was to start this week. Even Special Ed. Had to end because they weren’t CPSE certified (ugh) so I get a call yesterday from the school district (special Ed dept) that according to Erie County Colin can’t transition early, because he is 10 days after the cut off date! WHAT????? Are you kidding me?? Everyone was so thrilled that he was going to get the services and programs he much needed, no one bothered to look at the county calendar.

Apparently if I child is born from 1/1 through 06/30 they can transition starting 1/1 and on. From 7/1 to 12/31 then can’t transition until 07/1. When is Col’s birthday? Yep, you got it. It’s 7/10. 10 days too LATE. So what does that mean?? That EI has to REOPEN our now closed case and take him back on. We will ALSO have to fight for the additional services that were approved by CPSE because EI doesn’t qualify for as many as preschool does. *sigh* Are you following this?? I was SO lost yesterday. So on July 1st, he will then be a preschoolwe with a disability (CPSE) not EI and can have his full range of therapies. This ALSO means that if I program is found for him between now and then, he CAN NOT go. Yep, we are shit out of luck until July 1st. In which case you have to HOPE that they will  hold his spot and NOT move onto the next child in line, thus putting us back on waiting lists until FALL. Yikes!

I am bummed to say the least. So we are going to add the speech in for him through EI (**If EI approves it**) but hold off on the PT until he transitions(since this is the LEAST of my worries). Please keep your fingers crossed and pray a program doesn’t open until July. I will just be heartbroken if he misses out.