Hi ladies! (and men),
I am in some serious need of advice. I am struggling a lot with my son Will. He is my 2 1/2 yr old twin son and was diagnosed with severe autism a few months ago (a diagnosis I wasn't certain is altogether correct).
A little background... Will and his twin sister were born at 35 weeks and very shortly after delivery it was discovered that there had been a major problem with their placentas for apx 5 weeks or more... in short, it was as if there had been twin to twin transfusion, even though they are clearly fraternal twins. As a result, Emma suffered a stroke in utero and Will suffered a brain bleed and lack of oxygen which later led to a cerebral palsy diagnosis.
Long story short, Will not only has autism, but has some major physical and mental disabilities.
So, my question... I homeschool all of my children (I have 7 other children besides my twins). I am struggling with whether or not I should send Will to the handicapped preschool when he turns 3 in October. He's such a baby and although I am certain that the teachers there will have more expertise than myself (I did work with autistic children for a few years, but as an aide), I am also not sure....
#1 How to balance that with our homeschooling world.
#2 How do I split up my twins, who already have such an "odd" relationship as it is, as Emma is much more like Will's big sister, rather than his twin :(
#3How do I convince my heart that someone else can do better than I can?
I know it sounds silly, but in my mind I know what i should be doing, but in my heart... it's something altogether different. I am heartbroken....
Is there anyone who could share your experience? Please tell me how you made it through all of this...
