The date for this year’s IEP (Independent Education Plan or Program) meeting was emailed to Older Daughter back in October. As usual, we didn’t have any say in the date, December 11, it was the only day that all six of the various staff members could get together. As it turned out, one of the six wasnt able to make it, his Speech Therapist. The time they set was 9:30am. Older Daughter had work the night before so she asked them to move the time to 8:30am.
For those who don’t know what an IEP is, I’ll let Wiki explain:
An IEP outlines the special education experience for all eligible students with a disability. An eligible student is any child in the U.S between the ages of 3-21 attending a public school and has been evaluated as having (Specific Learning Disability, Autism, Emotional Disturbance, Other Health Impairments, Intellectual Disability, Orthopedic Impairment, Multiple Disabilities, Hearing Impairments, Deafness, Visual Impairment, Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay, Speech/Language Impairment, or Traumatic Brain Injury). The IEP describes present levels of performance, strengths and needs and creates measurable goals based on this data. It provides accommodations, modifications, related services, and specialized academic instruction to ensure that every eligible child receives a FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education) in the LRE(Least Restrictive Environment)
It is a legal document. The district and the school are required to provide all the things listed in the plan. The school that Ben goes to now is a Non-Public School. It’s not a private school, they only accept public school students that cant receive adequate support in their home districts. There is a tuition cost and that is paid by the home district. The school is also supported by a non-profit foundation that holds fundraisers to provide all the extras, like weekly equine therapy at the school, community outings to stores and fast food restaurants, dances and carnivals, field trips, vocational training for the older students (up to age 22 at this school), the list goes on and on… it is a fantastic school and we are so happy that Ben is finally in a place where he can thrive.
So, Daughter had to work Tuesday night and because he’s Ben, I didnt get much sleep either since he bounced me shortly before midnight. He was AWAKE and he stayed awake until 6:30pm-ish Wednesday night.
Daughter got home from work about ten minutes before it was time to wait for the bus. The bus, of course, was late arriving. I changed clothes, tried to make myself semi-presentable, had a wee and it was off to the car with us. It took us 45 minutes to make the 8 mile drive from our house to the school. Welcome to SoCal freeway traffic.
Finally at the school and a miracle in the form of a parking spot was almost cancelled out by Ben almost seeing us. If he sees us at school, he he expects to leave with us and it’s a likely meltdown if that doesnt happen. Some aides noticed our situation and formed a visual block and held the office door open for us. Whew! Have I mentioned that I love this school? We were ushered straight to the conference room where everyone was waiting for us.
I wont bore you with the details of the entire two hour meeting. Basically, Ben met many of his goals from last year. The ones he didnt meet, he attained 60-75 percent achievement. He’s doing great!
A student teacher in Occupational Therapy is so smitten with him that she asked permission to take pictures of/with him to have for herself. Ben has always been a charmer and he attracts love. We are in contact with many of his past teachers, going back to preschool.
The only sour note from the meeting was one of the ladies from the home district bringing up Ben returning to the home district. She mentioned it a few times. I’m sure the motivation is money because the district has to pay his tuition, but still… He’s doing great but that’s because he has so much support. If they think they are going to take him from this school they’re going to make me angry. I’m like Bruce Banner, you do NOT want to make me angry.
So we’re good for another year… as long as the district doesnt try to move him from this school.
(featured image by Brandon Peterson via wiki)
King Ben's Grandma 
THAT is my biggest fear. When you see a child doing so well that doesn’t mean take supports away. That means he is doing well with everything as it is. You go, Bruce. Don’t let them take him from this awesome school. Everything else is so fantastic! That is all really so great! Happy, happy , happy dance!!!!
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I would have Happy Danced but I was too dang tired☹ They tried to reduce his 1/1 hours because he “does many things independently and we want to encourage that”. Great! Have the aide hang back, let Ben do his thang, have the aide watch. Keep the dang aide!!!😠
I won!🏆😆💃🏼
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Good job! I keep waiting them to decrease Declan’s aide’s hours because of the same reason. He does a lot independently, and at times he even gets mad at his aide for “standing too close.” So she stands back until she sees him getting upset or he asks for her. But everyone agrees to keep her (which makes me happy!). Although, I did laugh – at the conference the teacher said there were a couple of days that his 1/1 was sick so they sent a substitute aide in her place. Declan was so mad to have this stranger up in his grill the teacher just asked for the aide to sit at her desk – he was having to use his calming skills about this strange aide. It made me laugh (poor aide) but also made me aware how useless the aide could be in the future if they ever changed her. Anyway, great job in keeping Ben’s aide – they need to stop trying to rock a happy sailing boat!
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That is a worry. It’s almost as if you get an improvement and they say well things are fine so we can go back to the stuff the didn’t work before. Fingers crossed for you all.
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Thank you😘 I won this year, no reduction. The two ladies from the district are new… they’ll learn that they “…wouldn’t like me when I’m angry”
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I hope and pray they don’t bring up moving Ben out of his school, esecially since he is doing so well.
It was awfully nice to know that you were helped into the building when you finally arrived there. Smart move on their parts fro thinking quickly and hiding him from you.
I hope that all of you get some much-needed rest.
Keep us posted on what the district says. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed with hopes for a great outcome. 💗
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Thanks sweetie! They brought it up but I shot it down during the meeting. The papers are all signed, we’re good until next year when we do the whole IEP thing all over again🙄
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That’s great news. I’m glad you are getting good support from the district for special needs schooling.
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Thank you🌻 Ben has been at this school about 2 years. For four and a half years we had problems. He went to 3 different schools, had 5 different teachers… I’m so happy with this school and he seems to be doing so much better. I will seriously go Hulk on the district if they ever try to move him back😡
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That’s wonderful. They shouldn’t even think of moving him to a different school.
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Terrific news! Even better that Ben has The Hulk on his side. Nothing like a grandma who can kick ass and take names, even if she sure would like a nap every now and then… 😉
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Oh, a nap are a necessity for this chronic insomniac! My biggest wish is to sleep 6 hours, in a row. (I was gonna type “straight through”, but like Green Day says “always move forward, going straight will get you nowhere”😉😴😴
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Thank goodness he is doing well. These meetings are always intimidating and scary for parents/grandparents .
And i would usually cry for some reason.
Those days are over for us Thank God.
Of course there is always something that our son could be doing better. He’s not reaching for the stars with his current career path, but at least he is paying his own way and living independently from us.
Happy Holidays to you and yours.
I always look forward to reading your posts
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Thank you Teri🥰 I hope your family enjoys a wonderful holiday season too🥂🌠❤
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As usual l am late to the party news – but this is an excellent result – you’ll must be very pleased and proud 🙂
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Yes, he’s doing SO much better at this school than he was in the several district schools they tried.
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Which is excellent progression 🙂
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That thing we discussed with the ”’Basket”’ l will be emailing you the article you can let me know how it reads, sometime today if not my tomorrow 🙂 If that’s okay?
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Yep, whenever. I’ll watch for it.
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Thanks GM 🙂
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So happy to hear it was a positive IEP review meeting and that Ben is doing well at his school. it just shows how important a decent school is.
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Thank you🌻 Yes, this school is fantastic! It would be nice if it wasn’t such a rare thing. All children should have access to decent, appropriate schools.
Ah, but its Christmastime… I’ll save the complaining til January 😉🎄🌟💌
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Glad everything worked out ❣
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Thank you.🌻
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