IEP aftermath

Yesterday, we had Isaac’s IEP annual review. As y’all know, I’m not the CPSE chair’s biggest fan. I’m not the biggest fan of the Nisky schools IEP team either…but thank GOD ECEC is on our side…and as a team we push for what Isaac needs…

Well, the IEP was smooth, and quick and whoah mama…over in 20 minutes!! This is a FIRST!

So, let’s hit the highlights (and no, there aren’t any lowlights!)

• Isaac is moving into the integrated classroom in the SUMMER, instead of wating until the fall! This is for a few reasons. First, his teacher is leaving in JUNE instead of August. Yeah, I about hit the roof. This would make 4 teachers in 2 years for him. No, not a good thing,a nd then he’d be switchng in September? No. No. No. Second, the director found a spot for him! Woohoo!
• Isaac has made SO much progress that the county person said she had to do a double take and make sure this was the same child that she had the report from last year! If we hadn’t mentioned integrated, she would have mentioned and pushed for it.
• With this comes a decrease in therapy. We’re entering the phase of more group sessions to get him ready for kindergarten. This summer, he’s getting therapy for “maintenence” and in the fall, it will increase again, but we’re dropping some speech therapy.
• Olive Foster was actually quite nice, and kind of rolled with what we wanted. Wonder if 3 IEP’s of dealing with me (initial-with refined goals and updates and 2 annual reviews) has just said “Give this mom what she wants..”
• We were in and out in 20 minutes
• I was able to have a conversation with the director of the school regarding some things…
• AND, ISAAC IS GOING TO INTEGRATED IN THE SUMMER! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!

So, seing this fact and knowing that his program ends at 1, and my nursing school program ends at 2:30, we need to find some wrap care, because I can’t be home when he gets there…and Doug will be back working again.

Since the kids that are in the integrated program with Isaac come from the day care upstairs, the most logical thing would be to have him go to the day care upstairs for the afternoon. But, y’all know me, I like to do my homework and all of that. Well, I called a few places and got some very surprising reactions.

First, I was told by one, very snippily, that “We don’t take part timers.” and hung up on. What the…

Well, you just lost potential dollars.

Then, I called Kidz Korner, and explained the situation. I got the most unexpected reaction-panic. The person that I spoke to was extremely scared of a “special needs child” and had never heard of the school that Isaac attends before. Her voice had the “please don’t pick us, please don’t pick us” tone to it. It was sheer panic.  This was really off-putting, because she’s never met Isaac and despite all of my reassurances that he is as normal as they come with a few exceptions, she was attempting to get me not to choose her center. Her big line? “Well, we’ll have to see if we can accomodate your child’s special needs.”

If you have to think about accomodating a child with a mild language delay who wears AFO’s, can maneuver over all sorts of terrian, and is more of a normal 4 year old than anything else…then you don’t get my business.

 

Then again, do I really want to send my son to a place with multiple mispellings on their website? I think not.

Wordless Wednesday, 4/30/08