Chapter 6 - LEO’S SCHOOL
Leo attended a small inclusive kindergarten readiness program.
Three mornings weekly.
Or he was supposed to.
During my twelve-day trip, he attended twice.
Dominic emailed school:
Family therapy schedule.
No therapy occurred.
Before that, absences had increased over two months.
I had seen attendance alerts.
Dominic explained:
OT appointments.
Sensory breaks.
Victoria days.
I believed.
School counselor, Erin Walsh, had concerns.
Leo sometimes arrived without lunch.
Not hungry enough to suggest starvation.
Just no lunchbox.
School provided meal.
Dominic said:
“Transition issue.”
Then one day Leo crawled beneath reading table and refused to come out.
Normal coping sometimes.
Teacher let him regulate.
When Victoria picked him up, she said:
“Stop rewarding him.”
Teacher documented.
Then Victoria pulled Leo by forearm.
Not violently.
Firm.
Leo screamed.
Teacher intervened.
She emailed both parents.
I never received.
Why?
My email address in school portal had been changed.
One letter:
clarasterling@...
became:
clara.sterling@...
A different inactive account Dominic had created? Could he change guardian email?
He had portal authority as parent.
He said it was “updated contact.”
The new address forwarded to him.
I felt sick.
He had not cut me off entirely.
He had created controlled versions.
Video calls.
Edited updates.
Forwarded school.
The same pattern.
Then teacher told CPS:
Leo referred to “good boy table” and “floor.”
He said:
“Liam table.”
“Leo floor.”
No questions beyond.
That phrase became evidence.
Then food.
School noted Leo sometimes asked:
“Earn lunch?”
Teacher repeatedly told him:
“Lunch is for everyone.”
That broke me.
But no dramatic permanent harm.
Within weeks living with me, his eating became more predictable.
He still asked.
Less.
Then his autism.
School psychologist clarified:
Leo’s cognitive testing showed average range.
Strong visual reasoning.
Language pragmatics lagged.
Sensory-seeking and avoidance patterns.
He was not “defective.”
But even if he had significant intellectual disability, none of the treatment would be acceptable.
I made sure every attorney avoided framing:
Dominic was wrong because Leo was actually smart.
No.
Dominic was wrong because a child’s value does not depend on test scores.
That mattered.
Then Leo drew family.
Me.
Himself.
A large table.
A tiny person beneath.
Dr. Sloan did not call it proof.
She asked:
“Tell me about this.”
Leo pointed.
“Leo quiet.”
“Who is at table?”
“Liam.”
“Anyone else?”
“Grandma.”
“Daddy?”
Leo colored black over one corner.
No answer.
May you like
We did not turn a drawing into evidence.
But we listened.
