Looking for Checklists and Answers

We are thinking about it about high school in the Dock. Yup.  High school!  Do i need to say more?  Surely you're already planning to provide some comfort and destressing stratgies for me because if you are reading this you probably understand only too well the heightened stress levels involved in such thoughts.

I can hardly believe it myself. And to make matters worse we are planning on going to an information night for a new special school this week and we have an interview with one of our two preferred local high schools in 3 weeks time.

So my worries are many but essentially they all revolve around doing what is best for Hannah. Just wish my crystal ball wasnt quite so murky!!

This afternoon i googled 'how to know if i should choose a special school ' My search revealed some helpful links to sites with checklists of what to consider but not anything conclusive enough for me.  Best advice was to stop worrying about how it might all work for Hannah and focus on the outcomes we think are a priority for her to work towards in high school.

Hmmm. What is the aim of the next SIX years in formal education?  I wonder.  And how can i truly consider a special school for a kid tat has been educated inclusively in  regular classrooms since kindy?

I tried to get Hannah 's view on things. No easy task when her answers are so important and i need to draw out her views whilst trying not to persuade or lead her in any particular direction.  I tried asking her aboutbher dance classes cos she goes to a regular one (where most of the dancers are younger than she is and she also goes to a disability one where most dancers are around her age or older.  Which didshe prefer and why?  If she could go to a high school with kids like those at Nikki's dance or one where all te students found learning a bit difficult (like the disabilty dancers) - which would she prefer and why?  Its a loaded question especially for a kid with an intellectual disability,  worth asking for sure but not really enough to basevmy decision on.  For the ecord she chose the inclusive regularvsetting 'cos i think mixed is better,  they are better at dancing'.

And so my pensiveness continues,  i really need to mull this one over,  it isn't going to be easy but i have to believe it will be alright in the end.