It is going to be a long weekend.
The facts come to this: Joey's last summer program was a disaster. His year has been a regressive disaster. My style of working with the school and trying to be flexible while getting Joey the support he needs has been a complete and utter failure. We were promised a resource room and now we are learning that it is not coming, that they are going to jerry-rig something that looks like it is not only going to not meet Joey's needs, and not get the much-needed resource room in place, but may even be detrimental to several other students in the system.
Disaster.
So while I am here putting together my power point and going through the failed IEP and figuring out how to get Joey a proper aide and all the ugly, nasty, wretched misery of what will likely be a highly adversarial, nasty, ugly IEP meeting, know I raise a glass to all of you, who know exactly what I mean, how little sleep I am destined for, and how many tears are going to be shed the next few days.
Good health and good things to each and every one of you. Keep the faith. Light it up blue.
5 comments:
Someone gave me a really great tip yesterday...print out your state's grade-appropriate rubric. Go through an identify everything Joey needs help with. Then go through and identify everything Joey DIDN'T get supports for. THIS is a clear illustration of how he's being failed. Also, gives concrete areas where you can ask for modifications, supports, etc.
Thinking of you and sending love and good thoughts! xi
I have chocolate flavoured vodka in the freezer and would gladly pour you a shot or 2.
Best of luck. Right now things are going "ok".... wood, knock... I don't expect they always will so I feel like I'm always on the edge waiting for the next mess.
Best of luck. I joined the bp pill popping brigade today... since things are going "ok" this past school year has been about looking after Mom... Don't forget to look after yourself as well.
I know you can do this! You kick but and have already out-thought them all. You've got Joey's back!
We got yelled at by a karate teacher for "not disciplining" our boy.
A woman with an MS in counseling told us he should be evaluated by a psychiatrist for ADHD drugs because he couldn't make eye contact while he created elaborate designs on the floor with pattern blocks *and contributed meaningfully to the conversation, which he could repeat almost verbatim*.
And we were told by the same woman that the way to work on his meltdowns was to shoehorn soccer into our already too tight schedule.
And his teacher told his class that "Bobby's favorite food is pizza." was an opinion statement, not a fact statement. This is the same woman who writes, "Don't forget, Thursday's are show n tell!"
Sorry, venting. But just goes to show you, there are people who aren't paying attention out there-- you just show them that Joey MUST have their attention!
Niksmom ... an excellent suggestion. Let these zeebs know how badly they are failing in their duty of care.
Things like this are clear indicators that decisions regarding service provision should never be left to those who will be funding it.
Amanda: "A woman with an MS in counseling told us he should be evaluated by a psychiatrist for ADHD drugs because he couldn't make eye contact while he created elaborate designs on the floor with pattern blocks *and contributed meaningfully to the conversation, which he could repeat almost verbatim*."
Isn't it brilliant when people with degrees in counselling pretend they're psychologists when they clearly are not! No competent psychologist - or psychiatrist for that matter - could fail to note that there is nothing in that scenario that would even hint at the need for 'ADHD drugs'!
"And we were told by the same woman that the way to work on his meltdowns was to shoehorn soccer into our already too tight schedule."
Sacré merde! Is this woman out of touch, or what?! Obviously she has no clue what she's doing. Which is a good indicator that she should not be doing it!
"And his teacher told his class that 'Bobby's favorite food is pizza.' was an opinion statement, not a fact statement."
Förbannade! A teacher who cannot tell the difference between fact and opinion, eh? Tell her this:
A statement that says "I think that this teacher is a pillock" is an opinion statement.
A statement that says "That teacher talks bollocks" is a statement of fact.
"But just goes to show you, there are people who aren't paying attention out there"
This isn't about paying attention, although that is a component of the overall problem. It's about being competent, and clearly those two are not.
Your boy is lucky. He got you for a mum.
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