Making a move is not so easy when seeking an accessible house
In search of an extra bedroom, but the same school district and wheelchair ease
As summer approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about whether I want to move my children into a new house. We could use another bedroom, as I have three little boys now, and my youngest, Kylan, who’s 7 months old, will be ready to transition out of my bedroom soon.
When we moved into our current house last year, we were ecstatic. We found a rental house that was wheelchair-accessible, which isn’t easy to do, yet it’s a big need of ours; my oldest, Cayden, 7, has infantile-onset Pompe disease and uses a wheelchair to get around. Thankfully, this house is all on one floor, with pretty wide doorways that make it easy to maneuver Cayden’s chair around the house.
At the time, though, I was scared to move here because we’d be leaving the city where I’d lived for almost my whole life. It also meant we’d be changing Cayden’s school district, which made me nervous. With his Pompe disease, Cayden needs some accommodations at school — including having his personal nurse with him at all times.
Aside from those accommodations, Cayden also has an individualized education program (IEP) for instruction. Luckily, an IEP, once created for students, follows them wherever they go. The next school must follow the existing IEP or adjust it with the parents’ consent.
When a move works out
Thankfully, moving to the new school district was the best decision I could’ve made for Cayden. He’s learning so much more, and according to the teachers and staff, he’s one of the most popular kids on the playground! I knew from the first week at the new school that I’d made the right choice.
We adjusted his IEP a few months ago so that Cayden would spend more time in the general education classroom and less time in the special education classroom. He was doing so well with reading and math that school staff believed he was ready to be in a regular classroom almost full time.
All of the positive things about this move are why I’m debating yet another one. While we could use the extra space, this town is small and rural, which makes finding an available rental like pulling teeth. I’m still shocked that I found this place.
I know I must consider a range of factors before deciding what to do. My hope is that a rental unit that’s a bit bigger will become available here soon. That would keep Cayden in the school district we love. If that elusive property doesn’t show up, however, we may have to consider moving back to our old town, where there’s usually a bigger market for rental units.
Thankfully, I still have a few months to look and decide. I want to take my time and not just go with the first place that becomes available, especially given our need for wheelchair accessibility.
One thing I am sure of: This next move, whenever it happens, will hopefully be the last for a while.
Note: Pompe Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pompe Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Pompe disease.
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