School Meeting

The meeting with my Big Boy School went well today. It was an informational meeting and was to help set a transition timeline to help me move from my current school to my new one. It was also an information gathering for the new school. They had Mommy and Daddy sign releases for medical records and for all my current therapies. Then they asked Mommy and Daddy all kinds of questions to get a sense of me: Dylan.

What was kind of funny is that this meeting had to take place primarily to see if I qualify. I guess they have to do it for all kiddos to keep thing fair for all which makes sense but it also struck Mommy as bureaucracy at it's best. Normally, my chromosomal chart gets me right in. But no. With special education in the public schools, I have to qualify. Essentially, my new poor teachers have a lot of paperwork to do for what Mommy thought would be obvious. I have T21. Special attention required please.

Ironically (being sarcastic here), the next step is another meeting. After they have gotten all my records and reviewed them, Mommy will go back for another informational meeting but with more emphasis on what she would like to see happen (aka. her goals for me). Then they review some more...and then the dreaded IEP meeting happens. That is where all of my "team" will come together to set up my whole year's worth of goals and how these goals will be accomplished. Basically, everyone who will work with me sits down in one room and talks about me. Therapists, teachers, bureaucrats, and parents. I say it is "dreaded" because lots of parents in the special needs community get overwhelmed at these meetings. Mommy has never been to one but from other parents, discussions focus only on negative aspects of their child or lots of terms are thrown around by the professionals but with no help or explanation to the parents. Many people feel that an IEP will be established but the school doesn't have the resources to meet the child's needs so it's a waste of time. But it all boils down to one grain of salt....most parents HATE the IEP (or Individualized Educational Plan).

Mommy has two goals for me. The first is to be placed at the school (there are 4 to choose from) that has an ASL teacher and ASL is emphasized. The second is social integration. She loves me playing with my other special needs buddies but she loves to see me play with "normal" kids too. These goals were brought up in today's meeting and have been noted. Mommy is getting her goals in early and sticking to them.

But overall, the meeting was friendly enough and a formality. The school that they met at was pretty cool. It was funny to see Mommy, Daddy, my FRC, and the school representative sit at the tiny table on silly chairs my size. There was a jungle gym in the building and some very cool swings set up for Occupational Therapy. Mommy wanted to stay and play herself but I had a speech therapist waiting.

My Big Boy School experience has begun. But it will take a series of meeting first to get me there. Pretty funny I have to "qualify" first.