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Well, tomorrow is our IEP meeting. I am not looking forward to it. I never look forward to them. It's very emotional for me to sit and listen to my son's strengths and weeknesses. I know them, but to hear others saying them seems to affect me more emotionally.
Changes need to be made for his new IEP. It's difficult to figure out what, because he still doesn't have his communication device. I know that I have seen an improvement in his handwriting. He is starting to form the letters independently, but still needs some hand over hand to prevent him from scribbling all over the paper after he has formed a letter. I don't know why he does this. He has visual motor processing issues. He has difficulty determining how to start and stop a letter.
The fact that he is trying so hard to learn how to write gives me hope. It will help him tremendously with his school work and give him an alternative way of communication. I believe this to be especially important since I don't even know if his communication device will be approved. It is being payed for by his Medicaid/Cap services. With all the cut backs in the budget, there is a chance that it will not be approved.
I would like to see more grade level educational goals on his IEP. He is so bored at school. They cover one thing for the whole week, like safety, calendar, poisons. These are very basic concepts and he understands them. He learns so quickly that he really only needs to be spend one day on a set of concept. I say a set of concepts, because just teaching him one thing a day is too slow for him. He is academically gifted, but his communication and writing ability holds him back.
The problem with moving him to advanced subjects is that the special needs public school he attends does not have a teacher that is able to teach him at his level. This will need to be addressed tomorrow and I am expecting a fight. I will go in calm and work hard to remain calm while presenting my expectations. I know I will have to compromise, but I need to make sure that the compromises do not end up hurting my son in the long run.
I'll keep you posted on the outcome of the meeting. I hope it goes smoother than I expect. I do have a great team of professionals to work with. I have also requested a specialist to come in and help us. She has a lot of experience with autistic children and has been helpful with a lot of other students and parents.
2 comments:
Thank-you for this post! Thank-you for posting your honest thoughts and concerns. My students IEP meeting will be in October so this gave me a good insight from a parents point of view. I'll be praying for you tomorrow and I'd love to hear how it goes!
Jana
Thanks Jana. It helps me to sit and write out my concerns and objectives before a meeting. Once I have a clear idea of what I want accomplished in the meeting, it is easier to discuss it with the other team members. It is really hard on a parent to sit through these meetings. We are so emotionally connected to our child. It helps when the other team members listen and take us seriously.
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