Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Thing that make you go "Hmmm...."

Well, there's nothing quite like thinking everything is moving along and then realizing you let your guard down and just got sucker-punched. Yes, indeed. That email that comes with that every popular line, "We scheduled your meeting on [date you could have told them weeks ago you wouldn't be in town for if anyone had bothered to call you]. I assume you got a letter..."

Well, no, actually. I haven't gotten a letter, I had no idea the date was scheduled, and that is exactly two weeks from today, when did you think you were going to schedule those four evals you wanted to do before that meeting?

Yes, I've already been embarrassed by being lectured about special education by the doc, when I'm the chair of the frickin' parent special ed committee and had the child screened not once, but twice. Can't I see this child needs an IEP? Well, no. What do i know about "normal"? He just looks like Andy to me. And he can do things like hold a conversation and dress himself. It isn't obvious to me. I had no idea how much support he might need for school, thanks.

But now that it is clear these behaviors translate to needing support, I want that support in place. Like, yesterday. Especially since I'm already Not Happy about being the Third Time. This better be the charm, people.

I'm starting to wonder what these people are thinking. Remember me? I'm the one who shows up with the binder of my kids' paperwork in temporal order? The one with the powerpoints? The one chairing your frickin' committee? Did you really think I wouldn't notice that you haven't invited me to the eligibility meeting, that you haven't even done the evals for it?

Beware the claws. Momma Bear is getting out the war paint.

3 comments:

farmwifetwo said...

Go Momma Go!!!!

Just remember - never take it personal until you are out of the room. And twist it back on them "I just wanted to clarify you meant... this???" etc to force them into exact responses instead of vague ones.

I'm trying to reach my Family Support Worker... we have a new VP and I think I need to make a "HELLO it's ME!!!" before school meeting with her.

- The professional nag :)

little.birdy said...

I get evals sprung on me all the time, as in, "You are evaluating a child tomorrow okay thanks see you there." Which is a bit different from being the parent. Good job, school.
What screening does your school use? Maybe they need to rethink it, if they missed Andy twice.

Joeymom said...

I definitely think they need to re-think their screening. When a parent gets up the courage to ask for a child to be screening, I think a full screening is in order, to get a full screen of the child. You may only get one chance to pick up on a problem; most parents if they get told once "kid is fine", that is what they want, and will get defensive if someone later comes back and says there is an issue. Besides, all that lost time! Instead of addressing the issues, getting the supports in place, and intervening to help, we were left on our own, scrambling for kindergarden.