On Tuesday of this week we had Trey's IEP Meeting. IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan. Children with special needs are on so many different levels as far as their level of special services needed that they do an Education Plan suited specifically to their level of need. It's really a cool thing! For example, my Trey might need ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) Therapy and need specific help on learning math skills but another child only needs OT (Occupational Therapy) and needs help with handwriting while yet another child needs all therapies available. The school system pays for each child to get the help that they need! Our tax dollars HARD at work! Literally!
I made the appointment on a day that I knew John could come because we both want to be hands on and involved in every aspect of his education. So I met him at the school for the meeting. You must also understand that these meeting must include everyone that has any interaction with Trey. In our meeting was me, John, the Vice Principal, the speech therapist, the ABA therapist, the Behavioral therapist, the Occupational therapist, Ms. Gwen (his SPED teacher) and Ms. Hobbs (his Kindergarten teacher).
When we started the meeting, they began telling us how impressed they were with Trey and the strides that he has made this year. Ms. Gwen went over his objectives and goals and said that academically he has met or exceeded all areas that were previously set for him and that socially he has come SO far. She said that Trey's kindergarten teacher, Ms. Hobbs, was upset with her for what she was about to tell us. I was kinda nervous by this statement cause I thought it was going to be bad news. Ms. Gwen then told us that she was recommending Trey for 1st Grade because he was academically exactly where he should be in Kindergarten. He has met all his skills!!! We were ELATED! The reason Ms. Hobbs was upset was because she said that she LOVES Trey and was wanting him to be in her class again next year. So sweet! Ms. Hobbs told us that if she had to say where Trey was delay-wise, she would place him at the developmental stage that the Kindergartners were at when they came back from Christmas! That is only 3-4 months delayed! When he was first diagnosed, he was developmentally delayed 1 year to 18 months. WHAT A TRANSFORMATION!
After learning this exciting news we got more great news. The Occupational Therapist thinks that Trey won't need to go out of the classroom to see her and that she will just be available for things that he needs periodically in the class. She is still going to write it in his IEP for next year so that he CAN have it if he needs it but right now it looks like he tested out of OT. Also, they said, if he had tested this high before he started Kindergarten that he probably wouldn't have even been in SPED at all, he would have been coming out for a few therapies but been in mainstream classroom.
Next year he will be in the classroom 80% of the time and will only leave for a few of the therapies. Now things may change when he begins school next year and he is in the classroom. He may need more time out of the classroom at first so he can transition into full time classroom time but they really think he is going to be ready!
They told us that his best subject is math (surprise, surprise!)---he IS his daddy's child---and his least favorite subject is Art. I was a little disappointed in this because I love artsy stuff but I still have hope in Crockett. They said he would tell them that "Art is for Crockett. Crockett likes ART, not me!" Every time he was going to art, he would tell them this. They said they laughed every time.
The last thing we discussed was whether Trey should go to Extended School Year. They asked if we wanted Trey to be at ESY this year and that it was strictly up to us as it was our call. We went ahead and suggested that he be in ESY with weekly ABA Therapy so he and I don't get out of practice and so he doesn't lose anything that he has learned this far! ESY only goes from the end of regular school year thru June. You still get the month of July off to have a summer vacation.
I can not begin to explain how much I appreciate the teachers, therapists and the assistants that have helped our Trey come so far in such a short time. As a parent of a Special Needs child, the main fear you have is that your child will never have the quality of life that you want them to have. You wonder if they will ever be self sufficient. There are so many times that bring you down and make you think that you will never get past this time in your life. Meltdown after meltdown, conference after conference, complaint after complaint, dirty look after dirty look. And then the day comes that you have a conference or meeting like the one I had this day, where they tell you that your child is beating this thing.....that he is exceeding expectation and not just meeting it! I issue a challenge to all of you parents out there that are struggling......Go to God and ask for His GRACE! Ask God for His PEACE! Ask God for His direction in your life! I have no idea how we would have gotten through these past 6 years without His guidance and direction in our life!
It reminds me of an old song......HIS strength is perfect when our strength is gone. HE'll carry us when we can't carry on! Raised in His power, the weak become strong!
I have had to cling to the HOPE of Philippians 4:13 which says, "I can do all things through Christ who give me strength." I am a different woman for having been blessed with Trey! Go kiss your babies and thank God for allowing you the opportunity to be a parent even when it's not easy. If you are a parent of a special child, thank Him for sparing you the monotony of a "typical" life and allowing you to have the blessing of a "special" life!!
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