Starting School.

I wasn't dreading the start of the 2015-2016 school year, as much as I have in the past.  Elsa was SO excited to start kindergarten! 

In fact, she has been disappointed that she doesn't have homework every day.  I have been having to find homework pages for her to do.  Where did this child come from?!  I love it!

 

The Saturday before school started, I had a rough recovery from chemo.  I had wanted to take the kids on a hike.  But I wasn't feeling up to it.  We settled for a family dinner at Costco.

And then, they were off!  Reagan headed to 2nd grade, in the morning she is with Mrs. Johnson in Special Ed.  And in the afternoon she is with Mrs. Sullivan's mainstream class.
Elsa has afternoon kindergarten with the amazing Mrs. Carr.

The two weeks before school began, Reagan really started acting out.  Literally, there are days that I have no idea how to make it though?  Dealing with cancer, and an autistic child is SO hard!

I told the social worker, that helps me out at Huntsman; that my assessment has been: that I can easily think "three steps ahead" of Reagan, when I'm healthy, to be able to avoid the typical triggers that make her freak out.  Having chemo brain has made it so that I am not very good at this right now.
And we've all been paying the price.

Poor Reagan.  Sometimes I wish I could get inside her brain to just experience what it is like for her, so that I could better know how to help her!

Reagan has been really violent with us.  And especially with Elsa and Cohen.  Something set her off, the other day, and she bit Elsa.  Fortunately, Reagan only got Elsa's clothing in her mouth...  But she yanked so violently that one of her teeth came out!

Another day, Elsa was listening to the song Shut up, and Dance by Walk the Moon.  Reagan heard the lyrics, and if you know Reagan, you know that she thinks words like "Shut up, Stupid, and Hate" are all four-letter-words.  Well, upon hearing that song, Reagan freaked out.  She was crying, and saying that it was a bad song!
She started throwing dishes off the counter, in sweeping motions, and she broke a bowl.

There have been incidents like that every day, and then some!

School started, and I was hoping that getting back in to a routine would help.
It wasn't the greatest week.
2 of the 5 days at school, Reagan had emotional outbursts that lasted ALL DAY.
There's been talk of putting Reagan in special ed. full-time.  It hurts my head to think about it.  I love that girl so much.

I wish Reagan could be immersed in an environment where she excelled!  She is an amazing swimmer:

You should have seen her at swimming lessons.  She dived in to the pool, and did the most beautiful freestyle stroke from one end to the other!

As is...  At least Sunday's have been better.  At church, the incomparable Emily Smith has been partnered with Reagan to help her make it through the two hours she is away from me, in class; and it has been fabulous!

I have been scouring the internet trying to find extracurricular activities in Davis County, that kids with ASD can be involved in.  And I am turning up completely empty handed!  There are programs in Salt Lake, and Utah county.  But nothing in our neck of the woods.  That I can find?
Anyone out there privy to information that could help me?  I'd love to hear it.