) and Asperger’s syndrome. Classmates formed cliques and left Katie out. “She can’t be in our club. She’s weird.”
I gave her a kiss and walked away — and sobbed like a child after I got in my car. “She stands out like a sore thumb!” I said aloud. “Why can’t she be like everybody else? Is this what her life’s going to be like?”I had long considered putting Katie in another school, but the public-school system kept reassuring me that they could handle her needs.“And have they gone on to college?”I felt a knot in my stomach.
One evening I woke up, panicked. “What if she doesn’t get in? What if she does get in, but I’m making the wrong decision?” The IEP team considered Katie’s needs and the proposed placement for the following year. They talked about the services offered at their school, and my worst fears arose. They were expecting Katie to stay in their system. I was shattered. My daughter would continue to suffer and be singled out.