Hi Mike, Brian was at elan for 20 months, prior to that I had escorts take him to a wilderness program in Utah. I tried to explain the program and show him the information I had. He refused and told me he would run away. He basically had dropped out of school. He was living at the local truck stop (sleeping in chairs) and stealing to get by. He told me he couldn't live with rules so living with us would be unbearable. He had gotten arrested for having pot at school and was getting high everyday. Growing, selling, smoking. It was the only thing that mattered to him.
Personally, I feel our public school system failed him. They shoved him through the cracks. He and I both have ADD which makes me more understanding of his struggle in school. I would plead for help and they did very little to accomodate him. He was never able to complete his class work, so they would send it home along with homework. It rarely got completed. It made our family life hell. He continued to fail, year after year. This killed any pride or self esteem he had. I don't blame him for getting high. It seems all he ever did was get in trouble, suspended, and fail. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing.
Finally, totally desperate, I researched wilderness programs. I consumed myself with this for about 3 weeks. I found what I wanted although I had no idea how I was going to pay for it @ $285 per day. I called for an emergency meeting (PPT) with the special education director and told him that my son had been labled "ODD" and now qualified for SpEd services. I TOLD him WHERE Brian was going and wanted to know HOW HE was going to make the payments. He tried to talk me out of it and start with something local and cheaper. I knew time was not on my side due to his age.
To finish this long story, he paid half. Then I hired a SpEd Attorney. He (director) knew the town had failed my son, and agreeded to pay for elan in full. I am certain that if I had not brought that Atty with me, I would never have gotten all that. The man simply being at the meeting was the power I needed. Brian actually learned there!(elan)
WOW! It looks so simple in print. I went through hell! Skiing in Utah was wonderful, but next time we will go for a real vacation, not to pick up a kid in the middle of the desert and camp out in January.
Cindy
I told Brian about this website, he has no interest right now. I think he wants to keep elan at a distance for a while. He talks on the phone and IM on the web to some elan friends though.[ This Message was edited by: Llahsram on 2004-09-28 21:52 ]