IEPs

IEP.  Cue the music from “Jaws”.  The acronym alone strikes terror into your heart, doesn’t it?  Can I get what my child needs?  How much will I have to fight?  Will they do what the IEP says, anyway?  Will the teachers hate my child?

We’ve been very fortunate that En’s IEPs have been adequate.  Right now for her big 3 year assessment I do have an issue.  She’ll be evaluated and we’ll have a big conference about it.  Of course, they’ll expect me to sign on the dotted line at the meeting.  It is unlikely I’ll do that. This year doesn’t look to be so easy for us to agree on all points.

I’ve made a short list of essentials.  One of them is resuming “food school”.  Since Little Miss is orally aversive (think repulsed by the thought of eating) she has to be fed through her g-tube at school.  This is a pretty restrictive activity. Since the schools are all about least restrictive environment (LRE) her being able to eat would be a positive.

In the past, the speech and language pathologist held food school for Little Miss.  One of her buddies who is a good eater would accompany her.  They followed the S.O.S. method and there was progress.  It was abandoned when Little Miss moved out of primary and into intermediate grades.  So that will be the biggest issue.

In the past I’ve hired an education consultant.  At $100 per hour it is a bit pricey, but well worth it.  It takes the stress out of it for me, prevents adversarial exchanges between  me and the teachers and other staff, and I get to watch an advocate use the vernacular of the profession while I breathe easy.  Last time we were able to achieve our goals and that was wonderful!

I found the consultant by asking my daughter’s various private therapists for referrals.  Of the several names, this consultant was the most hope filled.  She was not a lawyer but a former teacher.

Don’t let the fear get you down.  There is always a way! Let me know what has worked for you!

01-05-2009