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Suruli continued to cry and yell "TEE VEE! TEE VEE" in the preschool classroom.
"He needs to start school sometime," Alan gently said.
Amita tried to show some blocks to Suruli, but the tantrum continued. Soon, the teacher, Annie Clark a brunette in her late twenties came up to them.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"He's upset because he can't watch Sesame Street right now," the nanny told Annie.
Charlie started to notice the other parents looking at them.
"Suruli, I thought you were a big boy," Alan said. "Big boys go to school, and don't cry just because they can't watch Sesame Street."
"Alan!" Amita protested. "This is a meltdown, not a tantrum."
"This looks like a tantrum," Alan muttered, and suggested to Amita in a low voice, "Why don't we let him cry it out? Once he stops getting the attention, he'll stop."
"I don't think so," Amita disagreed.
"I agree," the teacher said. "I'll take it from here."
"Where's his aide?" Amita asked.
"He gets her later."
"I'd rather stay, until he calms down," Amita said. "Especially since he's in a strange place."
"That's fine. I'm sorry but I have to start class," with that the teacher left them.
After about half an hour of cajoling and comforting from Amita, Suruli stopped crying, and looked tired.
"Are you ready for school now?" Amita asked gently.
The boy didn't answer. Since it was storytime, Amita got the boy's hand, and led him to the circle. When he was seated, she wiped his tears, caressed his head, kissed him, and with the others said a reluctant goodbye and left.
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"I hope he can adjust," Amita worried when the trio was out of the classroom.
"He will," Charlie assured her. "Mom once told me that Don had a tantrum on his very first day of school."
So, the nanny, Alan, and the couple split ways.
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Two days later, Amita got a call from the teacher as the former had her lunch.
"It's Ms. Clark. Your son's teacher. How are you?"
"Fine," Amita said.
"I'm concerned about your son's behavior."
"His behavior?" Amita asked, worried.
"First of all, he hits other children and sometimes has tantrums whenever he has to change activity."
"He has meltdowns," Amita corrected. "I'm sorry about the hitting. My husband, the nanny, and I are trying to teach him physical boundaries."
"What kind of therapy is he getting?" As his teacher, she knew that he had borderline PDD-Nos.
"He goes to private occupational therapy and speech therapy."
"Good."
"What do you suggest I do about the hitting?" Amita asked
"Be consistent in the consequences. For example. Lets say you're taking him to the park. Tell him ahead of time that if he hits someone, he'll have to go home, not as punishment, but for the sake of the other children. Also try to get his side, somehow, see what's bothering him. Hitting, for little ones, is a way of communication. I've noticed, that here, Suruli gets upset when others touch what he has built with the blocks."
"Thank you," Amita said.
"Here in the class room, I give him a time out, and try to explain why I gave him the time out."
"How is he doing otherwise?" Amita asked lamely.
"Fine. He's a very curious little boy, and gets very creative with the blocks."
"My brother in law jokes that he'll become an engineer some day," Amita remarked.
"And that may be true," Annie added "Whenever I have the class draw, he makes pictures of cars."
The two talked some more, and then the teacher had to go.
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Later, Amita went to see Charlie and tell him what the teacher said.
"And it's only the second day!" Amita said, ending her narration.
"What about Montessori schooling? There's a Montessori school near us," Charlie suggested, having done some research.
"I've looked into Montessori schools too," Amita said, "but I don't know if it'll be a good fit. He needs support."
Charlie said. "Montessori schools seem to have the very things that Suruli needs such as as lessons in practical life and sensory education. Let's put him there part time, see how it works out."
"I'll want to see the school first," Amita said.
"And we will. I made an appointment with the director of admissions of the San Marino Montessori School next week," Charlie said, enthused. "The approach seems to be student oriented."
"Students do projects as a means of learning," Amita remembered from her reading.
"Sounds like something Suruli might prefer,to listening to a teacher all day," Charlie said.
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So Amita and Charlie talked with the admissions director and toured the school, and then the classroom, where the three to six class was. All the children, of different ages, were busy in various activities. Amita noticed a child with down syndrome. The teacher, named Sarah, kindly explained what the students were doing and showed them what one of them was working on.
"Do you have experience with children on the autism spectrum?" Amita asked.
"Yes I do," she assured Amita. "Currently, I have two students on the spectrum."
Amita continued, "How do you accommodate them and their needs?"
"For example, I'll make adjustments if say, the student finds a piece of material that he or she does not like, and try to be understanding if something is overwhelming."
"My child isn't talking quite up to his age level. Will that be a problem?"
"The Montessori method puts emphasis on language development," Sarah replied. "And he'll be working mostly on his own projects."
After a few more questions from Amita, the teacher requested that Suruli come to the class one day so that she could evaluate the child.
"How about Friday?" Amita asked. Her last last class ended at ten.
"Friday at one is good," Sarah agreed.
The couple thanked her, said their goodbyes, and left.
As they neared the car, Charlie asked, "What do you think?"
"The Montessori philosophy has some good points," Amita said. "And this school seems to have more flexibility than where's he's going now."
"And that's what Suruli needs," Charlie agreed.
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So on Friday, Amita took Suruli to be evaluated. With worry and nervously, she walked with him to the classroom, hoping for the best.
TBC