So today I talk to DS6's teachers after school, explaining that we've had a terrible meltdown and asking if anything happened in class yesterday (they have, of course, *heard about me*). They are concerned, but can't think of anything and so call over DS6 to ask him. Instantly and with perfect equanimity he says that some big kids were being rough at lunch time. And off he goes. If only I'd tried harder perhaps I could have managed to look even more foolish. I am going down the road to insanity and my children are driving the courtesy pick-up bus. And we're out of tonic. Is it a good sign that I'm not prepared to drink my gin straight?
On the more positive side I found a couple of useful articles on SENG - one particularly sounded very like our boy (and me, the 'carrier'), although I'm wary about possible implied justification. And I called the school district to ask their advice re schools that could offer grouping - a hard call as policy is officially against this - complete integration is the current flavour. But the district GT coordinators sounded sympathetic, and will discuss and call back.
The school is not offering much of anything at the moment - all grade one and two students are in fairly amorphous groups being rotated among the teachers until next week, when numbers are officially known and classes will be allocated. Today they learned about the letter S, and DS6 got more stars for good behaviour. DH suggested that he take his collection of baby teeth and his souvenir tick in for show and tell tomorrow as they might be lucky enough to learn about the letter T. DS didn't think that was funny.
More physical aggression tonight - because DH was doing the book-reading, not me. I'll start researching the aforementioned professional help, but hold off actually making an appointment until after classes have settled. One lives in hope.
There's a chance I could have a reasonably happy life in a nice quiet asylum somewhere in the country.
and p.s. - thanks so much again for the support and shared stories - it really helps.
