Tomorrow is Bubbles' first IEP at his new school. In fact, it will be his first IEP in elementary school. It's late October, and I still try and wrap my brain around the twisted fact that he ended up in kindergarten this year.
I've already been warned that he will lose services. The school, bless their budget-deficient little soul, set me up nicely by suggesting at first that he will no longer qualify for any speech services, as a result of having made so much progress in the past three years. Now, I love this school, and I get it that they have no money, but there is no way I am going to accept that he is cured of Apraxia merely because they don't have funding for speech therapy.I had a blunt talk with the SLP and let her know that I do not like surprises, and would hope to not expect any at the upcoming IEP.
To her credit, she called me last week making her recommendations. I cringed at the number of times she ignored my 'motor planning' questions and cringed again each time she peppered her recommendations with the phrase 'articulation disorder'.
BECAUSE APRAXIA IS NOT AN ARTICULATION DISORDER!!!
(Sorry for shouting. But it's not.) (Inability to articulate is a SYMPTOM.)
Anyway....I don't expect to be surprised when they tell me they are cutting his services in half, down to 1/2 hour session per week.
Saying he is 'almost all better' would feel great.....if it were actually true.
But the truth is, California is broke, and the educational system is broken. I hope some administration employees in Sacramento are having a lovely lunch out today. I bet the tab could be close to $90! Which is EXACTLY what an hour of private speech therapy costs. The VERY SAME speech therapy which my child is about to lose.
Hmmmm.
With that said, I am able to push aside the doom and gloom and for a little while the oh-so-many-concerns I have about his future learning challenges.
Why? Because I am grateful to have this child beyond belief. I am grateful to be able to watch the layers of his intelligence be revealed as his expressive language capacity increases. It is the most amazing process. It's not developmental, technically, because he is being treated for something which would not correct itself with a delay. But it is developmental as I watch him achieve communication milestones and make the connections.
His brain appears to be working overtime as his capacity for intelligible speech increases.
This weekend he came running up to me.
"Mommy!!! Mommy!!!! LISTEN TO THIS!!!! 'Plane' you go somewhere! 'Playing' you have fun! 'Plain', with nothing on it. OH MY GOD!!!"
OMG indeed, little man. You managed to blow my mind yet again.
3 comments:
Here in Iowa as a parent you can refuse to discontinue services during the IEP. If they really feel that strongly about cutting back his speech, they might have to bring someone else in to back that claim up. Most times, they won't. Also, let's say if he is done with speech (or cut back) and in two months or even 1 month, you can call another IEP meeting to ammend it. Heck, you can have a meeting every month. (Though, I don't suggest that.) As a parent, you have more rights than you probably realize. While I am not an expert with IEP's, I do participate in them regularly (I am an Educational Sign Language Interpreter).
Go in with a smile on your face, your facts in order, and spread a little gooey love all over the place, that will get you further than you know. GOOD LUCK!!!
They are supposed to give you info on how to appeal. Do it! Sometimes that alone makes them back down. Also, keep calling meetings every time you notice a change for the worse in his speech. They cannot "tell" you what they are "going" to do. This is supposed to be a dialogue. And while you are at it, bring in some info on Apraxia for the ditz.
Keep on the ball YOU are the best advocate for your son and what he needs. I agree with jwg said about bringing in info on Apraxia for the school system. also have your pedetriation send in recommandatons (sp?) to if need be.
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