Thursday, June 07, 2007

On the upcoming IEP meeting

This morning I plan to go shopping for end-of-year presents. I'm not sure what I'm going to get. Usually I have something in mind- but this year, I'm a little aimless. It isn't like these people have been wonderfully helpful, friendly, or even polite. They've done little for Joey- he's doing The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the third year running, and is bored to tears, and they wonder why he's being uncompliant and argumentative. When I ask questions, the first response has been "We're professionals; why are you asking questions?" I feel like Harry Potter trying to talk to Aunt Petunia.

I'm not ask stressed as usual about the Friday meeting. Maybe I'll start freaking out tomorrow. There's really no point. I have the OT coming with me, and the kindergarden teacher has said she will also come- I think it is silly that the next teacher wouldn't be automatically included at this meeting, since she is the one who needs to understand the IEP. But I got that fixed, she's coming. I'll do what I can. And if there needs to be more, I'll call another IEP. I may hire a legal advocate for next year, but we'll see how these people deal with it. I'm kind of ooking forward to having a mostly new team- though I get to keep the most problematic member of my current team. Hooray! That's why the OT is coming with me. I'm not the only one unhappy with Joey's OT goals.

Tonight, I'll comb through the reports we have and put together things that need to be addressed. And we shall see what they feel like addressing.

5 comments:

VAB said...

One sound piece of advice that I was given was this: take a list of things that you want addressed. If they don't get addressed, at the end of the meeting say, "Thank you very much. That was great. I'm still looking forward to discussing xyz, let's schedule a follow up -- how about next Tuesday."

Mary P Jones (MPJ) said...

Good luck! I hate IEPs with a passion. It is so good to have someone along with you for support. We hired an advocate earlier this year, and it was great to have her there. I got to play the good cop. ;)

kristina said...

I've found these suggestions very helpful.

http://www.autismvox.com/the-other-autism-e-word-again-preparing-for-the-iep-the-positive-student-profile/

Charlie's IEP is next Thursday and both Jim and I, and our Lovaas clinic supervisor and home consultant will be attending. I think it's very helpful (though it can be expensive) to have an advocate or at least someone who is not connected with the school directly.

Remember, following what VAB wrote, there is no rush. You can take as many meetings as you need to get the IEP that you want.

Club 166 said...

...They've done little for Joey- he's doing The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the third year running, and is bored to tears, and they wonder why he's being uncompliant and argumentative. ...

At the beginning of this last year Buddy Boy (in a self contained classroom with kids of various ages and abilities) was being assigned lists of spelling words that he could already spell. It took us several weeks to get them to test the words first, and then give him other ones if he already knew the list they had. They just didn't get that they were totally boring him, and thus he was more likely to act out.

As for the gifts, coal??? :)

Or you could just get them some books about how to really teach.

kristi said...

Ugh, my son's teacher this year was like a piece of wood ..just sitting there. No personality whatsoever, and she's a mother of 3!!! I made it a point at my last IEP that I want him to have a weekly report and I need a teacher who is communicating with me. He will be in kindergarten next year and I hope it goes better than pre-k did.