WELL ANOTHER EXERPT FROM A SET OF LETTERS BETWEEN MYSELF AND ANOTHER MOM WHO IS JUST STARTING HER JOURNEY THAT I HAVE ALREADY BEEN DOWN--
SHE AND I HAVE ONLY MET ONCE BUT HAVE BECOME EMAIL FRIENDS AND SOMEHOW WE HAVE FORMED A BOND THAT WORKS SO HERE SHE IS GOING TO HER FIRST IEP AND EVERYTHING IS GOING WRONG AND SHE HASNT EVEN GONE YET SHE IS ASKING FOR MORAL SUPPORT AND I FOLLOW IR BY MY RESPONSE HOPE THIS HELPS OTHER SOMEWAY!!!!
Hi Cindy, I hope you and Dakota are well. I haven't emailed in awhile and right now I am in the thick of IEP issues. David will be starting kindergarten in August and I am in the process of requesting an aide for David... I am up for a fight and need all the good thoughts right now!! SO please send them my way... It seems as if so many things are going wrong. The IRC case worker can't make the IEP after all. My husband has to work a double shift tonight and can't make it tomorrow. Lastly, my sis was supposed to go with me and she has been to the emergency room today for dehydration. ACK! I am crazed and all alone in this and I thought of you. I thought you have handled a lot on your own and I can and will have the strength of Cindy! I know we have only met once at the initial picnic you had for the center but you have made a big impression on me and I read your journal. ANYWAY! I am a mess if you can't tell so send me some prayers and strength please and any words of wisdom would be appreciated!!
Thanks, Karen
HELLO KAREN
I AM NOT SURE I CAN DO MUCH BUT GIVE YOU LOTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND A FEW THOUGHTS THAT YOU SHOULD ALREADY HAVE IN YOUR ARSENAL----
FIRST-- WHEN YOU ARE TRYING FOR AN AIDE THE NUMBER ONE ARGUMENT IS SAFETY
EITHER FOR YOUR SON OR FOR OTHERS-- DOES HE RUN OR JET
DOES HE BECOME AGRESSIVE ESPECIALLY DURING TRANSITION??
THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES YOU HAVE TO TAILOR TO YOUR CHILD BUT SAFETY IS THE CLENCHER TO GET AN AIDE --USUALLY
THE OTHER NEED OR USE FOR AN AIDE IS IF HE WILL START IN A SPECIAL DAY CLASS AND YOU ARE ASKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO MAINSTREAM TO TRADITIONAL CLASSES OR FOR SPECIAL ACTIVITIES WITH TYPICAL CHILDREN LIKE ASSEMBLIES OR LUNCH OR EVEN A RECESS
YOU NEED THAT AIDE TO MONITOR AND SHADOW YOUR CHILD TO HELP HIM BECOME A PART OF THE GENERAL POPULATION AS WELL AS EDUCATE THE AIDE TO HELP THE OTHER KIDS UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT YOUR CHILD
ANOTHER ARGUMENT THAT "THEY" LOVE TO HEAR IS THAT THE AIDE IS THERE TO HELP YOUR CHILD BUT ALSO BE AN ADDITION TO THE CLASS TO HELP OTHER CHILDREN AS WELL AS THE OTHER ADULTS HANDLE THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF YOUR CHILD
IE. ANOTHER SET OF EYES ,EARS AND HANDS!!!
BE STEADFAST IN YOU BELIEFS AND DONT LET THEM OUT NUMBER YOU OR BULLDOZE YOU-- YOU ARE A PART OF THE TEAM AND ACTUALLY UNLESS TYOU APPROVE IT IT WONT HAPPEN SO YOUR PART IS EVEN BIGGER THAN THE OTHERS THERE--YOU HOLD THE KEYS!
MOST IMPORTANTLY DO NOT ;
I REPEAT DO NOT SIGN THAT IEP AT THE MEETING
TELL THEM YOU WANT TO TAKE IT HOME AND REVIEW IT AND YOU WILL RETURN IT SIGNED IN APPROXIMATELY A WEEK. MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THAT THRE COULD BE THE POSSIBILITY OF RE-NEGOCIATION AFTER YOU READ IT AND YOU WANT IT DECIDED UPON NOW THAT EITHER YOU CAN RECONVIENE AN IEP OR THE BETTER THOUGHT IS FOR YOU TO MEET WITH THE PERSON WHO HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS AND/OR CHANGES TO "TWEAK " THE IEP.
I USED TO MEET WITH THE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL ED AFTER THE FACT IN HER OFFICE AND WE WOULD CHANGE OR ALTER WHAT I TOOK EXCEPTION TOO-- THAT WAY THEY DONT HAVE TO GET EVERYONE TOGETHER ABD IT IS LESS INDTIMIDATING FOR YOU.
ALSO THERE IS A NARATIVE PART IN THE IEP PAPERS YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO WRITE ANYTHING YOU WANT FOR YOUR SON OR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY
DO NOT LET THEM TELL YOU YOU CANNOT PUT WHAT YOU WANT --ESPECIALLYU IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO AGREE WITH
ALSO THERE IS A PART CALLED DIS DESIGNATED INSTRUCTUIONAL SERVICES AND THIS CAN BE ANYTHING LIKE SPECIAL NEEDS FOR THE BUS RIDE OR ASSISTYIVE TECHNOLOGY OR REQUESTING YOUR AIDE BE TIME CARDED FOR A TRAINING SESSION
THIS IS PERFECT TO GET YOUR FEET WET
ITS ONLY KINDERGARTEN BUT MAKE THEM KNOW YOU KNOW YOUR STUFF
YOU NEED TO PUT YOURSELF IN YOUR SONS SHOES AND IN HIS CLASSROOM AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE HIM SUCCESSFUL
REMEMBER DO NOT SIGN THAT IEP
TAKE IT HOME AND LATE AT NIGHT WHEN THE KIDS ARE FINALLY DOWN FOR THE NIGHT AND THE HOUSE IS QUIET GO OVER IT WORD BY WORD AND MAKE SURE IT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE
THEN IF YOU ARE HAPPY READ IT ONE MORE TIME JUST TO MAKE SURE AND WHEN YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE VERBAGE AND THE INTENT
THEN SIGN IT
AND A;WAYS REMEMBER NO MATTER HOW PERFECT IT SEEMS TO BE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A GLICH
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE HOLES IN THE PERFECT PLAN
YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP PLUGGING AND NEVER GIVE UP
ON A RARE OCCASION IT WILL WORK BUT DONT GIVE UP
THATS WHY I CALL MYSELF RLNTLYS--RELENTLESS
YOU CANT LET IT GET THE BEST OF YOU
OK FOR NOW GO GET EM
ITS FOR YOUR SON YOU DONT NEED ANYTHING BUT YOUR DRIVE TO DO RIGHT BYY DAVID!
PS PRINT THIS AND TAKE IT WITH YOU-- FOLD IT UP AND PUT IT IN YOUR BRA SO IT WILL BUG YOU JUST ENUF TO REMEMBER WHAT I WROTE AND IF YOU NEED IT REALLY BAD REACH IN AND FETCH IT AND READ IT OR USE IT IN THE MEETING --THEN YOU WILL KNOW YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!! YOU ARE ONLY WALKING THE SAME PATH MANY OTHERS HAVE AND FOR EXACTLY THE SAME REASON--YOUR CHILD!!!
NOW GO GET EM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment