Leah has her
CSE meeting this week.
We will be
setting up her plan for school next year.
These
meetings usually bring parents lots of stress.
Most of the time the stress is relieved shortly after the meeting is
over; when the committee who is working on the plan comes to agreement about
what they feel is the best education plan and goals for the child.
Usually most
of the stress is unwarranted.
Sometimes
it's not.
Luckily, we
live in a district where those meetings are as comfortable as could be.
There's always a little sadness when talking about your child's special needs, but our district tries to give us hope. They work to better the children. Test scores are just part of the plan. Our district is more focused on helping to develop positive and productive members of society, who reach for the stars and find their true potential, than passing tests.
They do this
for all of the children, in every grade, whether or not they have special
needs.
We are
blessed.
So Leah's
meeting…
I am having
a hard time trying to figure out the best path for her.
Leah's
skills are very scattered and if she has a particularly tough day it is hard to
get her to focus without a lot of intervention and prompting.
When she has
a good day though, she is on! She
doesn't need much help, she can follow along with her routine, and she even
initiates communication! Good days are
very good!
Tough days
are very tough.
I have
noticed when Leah has less assistance at home, her dance class, and church
classes, she usually does pretty well. She does need strict discipline, but once
those lines are drawn between adult and child, she gets it.
For example…
The dance
teacher's assistant was out of town for a week.
Leah didn't
have anyone to rely on to help her or redirect her. She had to listen to her teacher and she was
expected to behave.
It was her
best week at dance!
And…
At church
her class is small and she is often at her teacher's side. When she goes to group activities she is also
usually sitting right next to a teacher.
A few weeks
ago I explained to her teacher that we are tough on Leah and when she is
naughty, she gets into trouble. I told
her that we expect her to behave and mind her manners.
The next
week her teacher was a little "tougher".
It was one
of her best weeks at church!
Finally…
When the
bathroom door is open, Leah is completely self-sufficient going potty (although
she sometimes finds herself trying Mama's make-up out).
When the
bathroom door is closed, she often needs help.
It's like
she can't do it on her own, even though we all know she can, when that door is
closed.
I just
realized this was the connection yesterday and we will now always have the door
open. J
Her fine and
gross motor skills are her worst skills, they always have been. I am wondering if she just gets discouraged
by not being able to turn the door knob to the bathroom, so she shuts down and
won't do much by herself.
But when she
has the ability to be independent, she usually is.
I saw a
sample of an IEP in which the child had her therapies pushed in, or in small
groups, at particular times of the day.
This girl's
IEP had her PT at gym or lunch. Her OT
was there to help with her seat work exercises.
Her speech therapist was with her during circle time, or other group
activities.
This allowed
for the child to be fully included into a regular ed. classroom.
Leah will be
in a blended classroom and 1/2 of the
children will have special needs and the other 1/2 won't.
There will
be a regular ed. teacher, a special ed. teacher, and an aid in the class.
I kinda
think that's enough help.
I'm not
really feeling the need for a 1:1 aid.
But on those
tough days…
I'm afraid
she will be too disruptive to the class.
I don't want
her to shut down when things get tough, and not have anyone there to wake her
back up.
I want to
give her space but I don't want to frustrate her.
I was
thinking about giving her the first 10 weeks to adjust.
I know the
first 4-5 weeks will be hard. But maybe
on the 6th or 7th week she'll come around?
Maybe if
she's given time to learn the routine and adjust to all of the new changes she
will excel?
Maybe if she
sees other kids trying to figure it out too because of the newness of
kindergarten for all of the students, she will learn with them?
But then
there's those really tough days…
It's always
so hard to know what will be the best plan for your child, especially when they
have such a huge gap in skills.
Leah's
academic skills are great!
But the rest…
