Thankfulness Thursday

Isn't it amazing how fast the time goes once the school year starts? It becomes a cyclone of alarm clocks, homework, meetings, extracurricular activities….Then Friday rolls around and it still doesn't stop. Everything moves so fast, the next week sort of sneaks up on you to start the whole process again. Fortunately, Gus is adjusting pretty well.

This week, I am thankful:

1. That Gus, although he's been a little up and down at school, has had at least two solidly good days. For the second time, this week, he completed all of his independent work without any prompting. It might seem like a small thing, but being able to complete tasks is one of his biggest challenges in school. The fact that he's starting off the year showing that it can be done is amazing.
   
2. That Gus is learning to type this year. As I mentioned when I blogged about his Annual Review, Gus will be allowed to use a word processor for at least part of his statewide exams this spring. That access is important because, while his handwriting has improved enormously, it is still often illegible and overcrowded. Plus, it takes him a very long time to write things out, and it's very tiring. During yesterday's visit to the class, I got to see the typing software he's using (which is kind of old so I don't think I'll be able to get a copy for home) is lots of fun. There are 'missions' that look like some of the old-school video games (like Space Invaders of Gallaga) that I can see have great appeal for him. When the missions are completed, random historical facts pop up. That has his name written all over it. If I can get the name of the software from his teacher, I'll update with it.
   
3. That I finally swallowed all anxiety and went ahead to register My Autism Insights as its own domain. Once I have the site up and running, I have some exciting plans down the pike! I'll probably transfer the content of this blog over there and then will just pick up where I leave off. In other words, you should have access to all the old posts as well as new material. So keep an eye out, and I hope you'll stay with me as My Autism Insights continues growing!
   

What are you thankful for this week?

Thursday Thankfulness

I'm a little late today, but two more walls have been given two fresh coats of paint, so please forgive me! Today's thankfulness:

1. I am thankful that Gus will be getting the appropriate and needed services in a great environment next year. Our annual review went better than I'd hoped because I was expecting a real fight on our hands.

2. I am thankful for the wonderful support from Gus's teachers, aides, therapists, counselor, and peers. Knowing that he's in a good place makes it easier to feel hopeful about his future.

3. I am thankful that I only have one small wall and the foyer left to paint, and I give kudos to people who do this for a living. I never knew how difficult a job painting a living room could be. However, as tough as it is right now, I'm going to feel damned good about myself when it's done!

What are you grateful for today?

Annual Review: Win!

Today was Gus's ever-stressful, anxiety-provoking annual review. I've been mentally preparing myself for weeks now, preparing for an epic battle. I anticipated that there would be fists banging on tables and possibly threats to call lawyers or to remove Gus from the school system. (Okay, so my imagination can get a little overactive, and I'm a sucker for a worst case scenario.)

DH took the day off to attend the meeting, and just prior to the meeting we made our last pre-battle preparations: We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for a sugar and caffeine boost (French vanilla with extra sugar). If I've learned nothing else today, I've learned that a non-coffee drinker should never drink coffee before a meeting that will last more than 5 minutes.

So there we were, ready for the smackdown, doing mental calisthenics, readying our arguments and rebuttal. The smackdown. Never. Came.

Not that I'm complaining.

Gus will remain in his program next year with the same services (OT reduced by half an hour, but I'm okay with that). Since state testing starts next year, he will have a multitude of accommodations: word processor availability, extra time, separate room, redirection prompts, reading of directions...there may have been more, but I lost count. Summer services are in the package as well. If our luck holds, he may even be able to stay in this program (barring any drastic changes) until the end when he transitions to middle school, but I won't count my chickens just yet. A win all around.

There were some annoying moments, or maybe it was just my caffeine enhanced scrappiness. The minute I was asked about my visit to the other school that had been suggested, I started throwing around the word 'safety.' But there was no rebuttal. The chairperson agreed that it wasn't as appropriate as she thought. I got a little miffed that she mentioned that we might want to eventually consider medication for Gus (that always gets me bristling, even if we happen to be thinking about it). I let DH handle that topic, which he did very tactfully. The psychologist irked me a little when he wondered if Gus was really getting all that he could academically. My response was something along the lines of, "He's performing at grade level or higher; how much more do we need him to get right now?" Low expectations? No. I just don't feel the need to pressure Gus to be a super-genius.

There was one nice moment when the physical therapist gave her recommendations. She mentioned that Gus often runs into the middle of kickball games because he lacks safety awareness. Apparently, the kids know him now, and when they see him coming, they just wait until he's in a safe place and then resume their games. I found that to be sweet, especially when contrasted against the neighborhood kid who was giving him funny looks at the bowling alley. They haven't teased him or been mean - what a nice thing to hear!

I'll admit, I was having a really hard time behaving at the meeting this year. I'm sure the coffee had something to do with it. Maybe it had something to do with knowing that the chairperson had lied in the past regarding my son. She did get a little closer to my good side once I saw that she was being at least somewhat sincere about how much she likes Gus. A few sarcastic comments escaped, but I bit my tongue when standardized testing came up. (Because of course that's an accurate measure of what a kid can do - we all know that. Don't get me started on that one.) When the psychologist asked me to sign a permission form for something, I very nearly said, "no," just to see what he would do, but I controlled myself. However, the guy sitting next to me didn't escape my mischievous streak. He loaned me a pen and when he asked for it back, I said, "What would you do if I said no?" He didn't seem amused by that. The next time he loaned me the pen, I said I wasn't giving it back. No reaction. And they say my son is robotic. Pfft.

By the end of the meeting I was really antsy, but fortunately we had to run out of there or we'd miss the school bus. So that was our day - we were very lucky. I'm very glad to be working with the same team next year. I'll also be very glad when this caffeine buzz wears off - there's a good reason I drink tea.

So fess up, have you ever been tempted to misbehave in one of those meetings for any reason? They're long; they're stressful. It's hard not to crack under the pressure! C'mon, share your story!



P.S. I know at least one teacher friend who really ought to weigh in on the whole question of standardized testing. I threw that in just for you!

The Annual Review: Related Service Providers

image from Wikimedia Commons

I'm not sure if this applies to everyone, but in our district* (in New York State), if you want your child's related service providers (i.e. speech, occupational or physical therapists) present at his or her annual review, you have to inform the district and request that they be invited. I was unaware of this for our first annual review and was shocked when Gus's old speech teacher was recommending to end services (because she didn't think the district would approve them) but wasn't coming to the meeting to justify her recommendation. Fortunately, the meeting was taking place in the school building, so I was able to talk to the teacher quickly and figure out what was going on. Had we been in another location (like a district office) Gus probably would have lost his speech services.

I make it a point to keep the lines of communication open with anyone who interacts with Gus on a regular basis without breathing down their necks. Now I try to schedule a team meeting sometime prior to the annual review so that I don't get smacked with any surprises and so that everyone is on the same page going in. Hearing about a recommendation for a program change in the meeting doesn't allow you time to think and process the information, which can lead to a rushed and possibly bad decision. In my humble opinion, I think some administrators count on that element of surprise so that the parent will just go along with their plans. This is not to say that all CSE chairpeople are evil and want to harm the poor little special needs children; I'm not saying that at all. But realistically, everyone has their own agenda when they walk into that meeting, and you are probably the only one whose sole concern is your child.

To most administrators (and I say most because I have seen a few who have taken the time to at least put a face to the name on the reports) your child is a name and number on a piece of paper. This is one reason why having those service providers present can be so important. They are the ones who work with and know your child (at least in theory, but if they are clearly not in that category, simply don't invite them to the party). If you think that they will help you advocate for your child, make sure they will be present. Once you get the date for your review, contact your district chairperson and express your wishes for who will be in attendance. If you call, make sure you follow up with an email or letter.

That last bit is important. I just called our district and was told that I didn't need a letter. In the past I've been told something very different. I'll compromise and send an email. That way, no one can say I didn't follow the protocol.

Does your district have different rules for annual reviews? Are your child's service providers automatically included? It would be great to see how other states handle the process.

*edited in 3/18/2009

IEP Time Again

Our annual review is fast approaching, and as usual around this time of year, I'm getting anxious - probably more so than in the past. The difference this year is that there are massive budget cuts being rumored throughout our district. From all the buzz, it doesn't seem like it will affect the special education budget that much, but I can't see how it won't. The CSE has been pushing a program for Gus that while not awful, isn't as good for him as his current program. He'd almost (99%) certainly regress and would be set back a year. Aside from that, we'd probably see an increase in his wandering and "eloping" behaviors: too large a class (I've already been told that they will be over their limit), too large a school, and not enough sensory support for him to be able to cope. So I'm anticipating a battle and not looking forward to it.

I talked to a friend whose son is also being recommended for this program, and it never ceases to amaze me how nasty these CSE chairpeople can be. And they often seem to work under the assumption that parents aren't doing their homework and that we won't see through the nonsense they shovel at us. They love to make parents feel like they have no choice but to accept what the district sees fit, and they love to throw around the term "Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)." As a matter of principle, I agree that a child should be in the least restrictive environment, but remember that the environment has to also be appropriate, and yes, as a parent, you do have the right to reject what the district feels is appropriate if you disagree.

I can't stress enough how important it is to know the IDEA rules and your state's special education procedures better than you know the back of your hand. Our state sends these in a packet when we are given the date of our annual review, and you should have free and easy access to the information in your hometown. Read it. Know your rights. Don't let yourself get bullied.

And someone please remind me of all these things before next week. Have a great day!