We are rounding the last days of “summer vacation” Back-to-School is only days away. Next week my youngest son will begin his freshman year, how exciting for him. This was the year from hell for my older son that is now at a residential boarding school in Provo, Utah. All the memories just flood in, campus police, IEP meetings, vice-principal phone calls, the list is endless. I have to let all that go and not bring the baggage of the past into my new freshman’s life. This is an exciting time for him and I must share this passage on an upbeat note. There are approximately 1,000 kids at the school, I am sure my son was not the first to spin out of control. On some levels I feel like an experienced high school parent and know what to expect, but on the other hand this will be a first experience. I guess when you have kids, every experience is a first experience since they are all so different.
Before school begins, we are taking a mini family vacation. Another happy-sad; happy to get away but sad that my oldest son is not with us for another summer vacation. School is year around when you’re in residential treatment. His term is ending this week, then they have a week break and it starts again. He should be coming home during the break for a visit, but he is not at level to earn a leave of absence.
We are ending one chapter and starting a new, with one son starting high school and my oldest son attending his second year at a residential treatment center. Never to have the traditional high school experience, I am learning the “traditional high school” experience is not for everyone.
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Boarding schools for Troubled teen are essential for the troubled teenagers. These schools provide specialized education and various types of extracurricular activity programs. Schools focus on the character development and behavioral modification of each teen.
Hi Juan, I have to agree with you. Remember these kids are there because they need therapeutic help and that comes first. I have been told once they get through the therapy part the school will follow.
For students, I find that the academic experience at an RTC can be crippling.
bsmith, thanks for your reply. I could not agree with you more. For some kids it is a safety issue, my son may not be alive today if it were not for wilderness and residential boarding school. Even though he is still there, I think he is happier and will have a better chance of coping later in life. It’s a gamble.
I just switched from sped to at-risk. I do not think residential is the answer for anyone. We live in a diverse society where you never know what is going to happen. You have to go up in that diverse environment to learn how to interact and you need “normal” behavior to model. The IEP needs to better address how to help your son learn to interact and cope day to day.
I do think there are times when someone spirals out of control that they need to have a break to regroup, but it should not be the plan for continued learning.
In large schools students need to develop a circle of friends, teachers, staff, etc. that makes them feel a part of the school, to have a sense of belonging.