No, That Didn't Go Well.

Today's IEP meeting featured the FBA. Yeah, acronyms suck. So did the meeting.

When we set up this meeting, I was unhappy about the idea that we were getting together at 2pm to "look at the data and decide what to do." I asked for the data and a draft of what they thought they should do before the meeting, but that didn't happen. So I had no idea what the data would look like, had no time to process it, and was unable to have my own professionals look over it and discuss it so I could be a useful team member. We actually spent a lot of time talking about how the behaviors that originally set al this in motion have mostly ceased. You know, the threatening language, cussing, and self-deprecation. In fact, during their 2 weeks of data, he had mostly "good days."

And so the meeting was a waste of time.

The only thing I could get across to anybody was the need to help Joey communicate when he is on the brink of being overwhelmed, because you can't tell by looking at him. So they agreed for him to have a notebook with his well-being check-in color and number scale, and have him do regular checks of where he is on the scale, and possibly talk about why (so he can connect emotions to things that happen and proper language). The idea is that this will help him process and communicate, to avoid the behaviors.

Great.

Most of the meeting was filling out a form about these behaviors and lack of data, which can mostly be summed up as "Joey is autistic." To the point they'd say something and I wanted to say, "NUH! He's AUTISTIC!!!" or write "Look! My autism is showing!" I mean, seriously, just write "autistic" across the paper and be done with it.

And what is the plan should he have another meltdown incident?

Oh, well, um... that wasn't discussed.

I had no urges to throttle anyone. I just felt like no one there who understood Joey was being heard, and those who didn't made their cluelessness clear. Nothing was done to actually help Joey should he again be in crisis.

It is never a good thing to be walking out of an IEP/FBA meeting thinking, I need a lawyer.