Tuesday was supposed to be a big day. We had scheduled an appointment with First Steps (part of the Yolo County Office of Education) to evaluate James and to create a contract of where we want James to have progressed in a year in terms of language. First Steps was to tell us where James stands exactly in terms of his development.
The appointment was at 3pm which meant that Steph had to skip class. Steph's brother drove to Davis to buy a new computer from the University's Bargain Barn and because of our pending appointment, we had to kick him out early. We spent the whole day making sure the house was in perfect order because the First Steps team was meeting at our house to evaluate not just James, but his surroundings.
When First Steps arrived at the house, we were greeted by four women bringing in tubs of toys and lots of folders filled with papers. We met, in order: an educator, a speech therapist, a child psychologist, and a child development specialist.
James was still sleeping (he had just gone down for his nap little over an hour before they arrived) and we woke him up so the First Steps team could meet him. James, of course, was rather upset about this. He buried his face into Nick's chest and refused to look at them. He was so tired. And that's when we got the news.
They informed us that because they had read the MIND Institute's evaluation for themselves, they were not going to do their own evaluation. In fact, they weren't going to work with James at all. Instead we were to go through the Alta Regional Center whom First Steps is close with and that we should hear from them soon.
And that was it. The big tub of toys was not used. The papers in the folders were not handed out. We got two business cards and a "nice to meet you" and that was it.
Why couldn't they have told us all of this information over the phone? Why even come to the house with all of the equipment and allow us to wake our son from his nap when they weren't even going to look at him? Didn't they realize that we had been planning this for over a week? What a waste of time. Steph could have gone to class. We could have spent more time with Steph's brother. James could have gotten a decent nap. But it's done and over with and at least we know where to go next.
You'd think that people who work in the Office of Education would realize the needs of the community they serve. But even the most important officials can overlook the obvious, whether they be specialists in child development...or kings.
