I think we all get conditioned to many things in life.
It is warm out and you can find many people looking at plants for the springtime planting season- this is the case in Ohio!
Or when the weather gets a slight chill in the air, again Ohio, thoughts turn to pumpkin spice flavored every things!
So, it shouldn’t be surprising to me that as the sun shines and we crest to a balmy 49 degrees- again in Ohio that is getting up there for early spring, my thoughts go to full on springtime and that leads me to automatically think that we are entering what is lovingly referred to as “IEP season”
The time when many others are getting spring fever and families look to spring vacations and summer breaks but those who have special needs in their lives, look to the BIG meeting coming up before their thoughts can segway to those other things.
For complete disclosure here, my daughter is 27 years old now, which means I am a good amount of time from High School and really, even her college program and yet,
Here we find ourselves-still in the mindset that recognizes Spring-IEP time.
So maybe now is a good time for me to offer my sage wisdom about IEP time and share some of the things I did to decrease this stressful time:
A quick update for those who don’t know, my daughter Elizabeth has special needs. Specifically, she has Global Dyspraxia and Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD. Her disorders affect all parts of her life and day. Her disorders are ones that affect all parts of her life but in such intricate and specific ways.
WE KNOW OUR KIDS BEST! – Now repeat! And repeat! – everyday as you get ready for your IEP meeting.
My daughter’s intricacies are why it was so important to make sure her IEP reflected her needs and abilities the best way it could. So that everyone could understand her and how she works. Because once they understood, they could work with her well and succeed!
So back to the whole wisdom thing that I talked about prior.
NUMBER 1. It would all start with contacting the school and asking for a copy of the new IEP as soon as possible. So that I could review it myself. And make a side-by-side comparison of the current IEP and the new one to see how the goals changed or stayed the same and to see how I might want to change the narrative part of the IEP.
This narrative is so important because it tell whomever is reading it just who and what your child is. It is the introduction of your child to the reader. So, it needs to be accurate and reflect the current information about your child
Number 2. It is so important to bring in your team. And share this new IEP with them. Any and all people who are working with your child. Maybe it is private therapists or tutors, ANYONE who works with your child.
NUMBER 3. Make copies of the IEP for them all, give them their copy to read and to add their thoughts to. Give each one a color to use as they write, so you will be better able to know who wrote what things.
NUMBER 4 Ask for them back and go to work color coding their thoughts to use when you meet with the school
NUMBER 5 Make time to talk with each one to make sure you understand their ideas.
NUMBER6 6 Do a side by side, page by page, goal by goal comparison of the old IEP vs. the new IEP
I spent time talking with one of our beloved therapists who has been with Elizabeth in life since the age of 2.5 years old. She was the one who I sat down with and goal by goal, page by page we would go through the new IEP and get it to be all that we wanted it to be for Elizabeth.
But I think one of the things that I learned was to see the IEP as the tool that it is.
But it must be the right tool for your child, the right fit! It reminds me of what my dad said all the time to me when I would use a shoe as a hammer because I just didn’t want to go all the way to the garage to get a hammer.
Right tool for the right job
So, the IEP must be the right tool.
And it takes work.
But it is so worth it to be as prepared as you can for the meeting and that starts with having the time and plan for how to make the IEP the best it can be for your child.
And remember you cannot get back lost time in your child’s life.
STARTING EARLY IS A BLESSING!
Trust me, I was not a good advocate when Elizabeth was young. I learned to be this advocate, and I learned all these things as time went on. Which is why one of my wishes in life is to help others learn now what took me several years and mistakes to learn.
I learned the hard way, so if I want to help someone avoid those mistakes I made.
IEP season does not have to be one in which you feel out of control and that you must listen to what the school says. It can be one in which you arrive prepared, as calm as you can be, and ready to fully represent your child, their needs and get the best for them for the next school year in their life.
Now repeat!—-WE KNOW OUR KIDS BEST!