IEP update

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Registered: 03-26-2003
IEP update
7
Thu, 02-16-2006 - 6:59pm

Mostly it went pretty well I guess. Everyone else seems to think it was great anyway. Me, I don't know.

The speech pathologist was kind of lost. The report was bare minimum at best but our psychologist/therapist was able to give lots of good input on how to implement some ideas for his needs. They pretty much stuck to understanding and using more facial expressions and body language. His is either non-existant or over exhagerated (Think Jim Carey). His teacher already had objectives for inferencing and comprehending (she is so awesome). He will get pull out speech 1x per week for now.

Fortunately our therapist was there and told the speech path how to implement the objective with specific ideas and has some materials for her. That really raises my confidence in the SLP though! The teacher had good ideas too. The SLP is useless.

I still don't know if Mike is falling behind academically. I didn't get to go over his BIP that I also think was poorly written and don't really agree with the report. Mikes teacher is wonderful and he has been doing great with her so I haven't made it an issue. She thinks the ideas in it helps her but I want it out of his file before he goes to a different school in a year. I think she does a fine job without it. I have a note in to the teacher. She says she will respond next week when she has more time.

I guess it went well. He got speech services. They set a good objective they have a good plan for how to implement it. It is me. I never do good at his meetings anymore. Always some new area of need comes up that I didn't think of before. Sure Mike is quirky but I never really thought about how he doesn't use appropriate facial expressions. That and I think it is hard to go and make a plan and not know if it is really going to help because I have little faith in the SLP. Even with an awesome psychologist/therapist It has taken over a year to get him to ask questions in a conversation within a theraputic setting. He still doesn't use it outside therapy really and still gets into fights for not initiating interactions correctly.

Renee

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Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Thu, 02-16-2006 - 8:46pm

(((Renee))) and sending some cyber chocolates and wine your way as well. Hope you're able to relax a bit tonight! IEPs take way too much out of a mom!

I always come out of IEPs wishing I new if what we'd just decided will really work or if they're just putting some stuff down on paper to make me feel better and get me off their case.

It sounds like Mike is getting good support and learning lots through the therapist and teacher. the SLP does sound quite useless. I hope she turns out to be just bad at testing and reports for meetings and good at the actual work w/ children like Mike. Lots of hope and prayer for that for you guys!

Betsy

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Registered: 08-26-2005
In reply to: rbear4
Thu, 02-16-2006 - 9:30pm
Renee,
I haven't had the pleasure yet of sitting down to write up an IEP so I don't have much experience on that front yet but I do know that feeling of going into a meeting with your own concerns and coming out with a whole bunch of others.I always get the sense that maybe I don't understand his needs as well as I thought. At Jakes follow up appointment with the developmental Ped I felt she harped on too much about Jakes poor eye contact and lack of affect. These are issues we've had from the start and to be honest I don't believe there is a way of teaching a child to use them more without it appearing really unnatural. Jake makes the faces of the thomas characters so I know exactly what you mean about the Jim Carey thing, I've gotten some strange looks because of that!
Teresa
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Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Thu, 02-16-2006 - 10:16pm

Exactly,

But that is just Mike and part of who he is. I guess they are right that he has to learn how to interpret facial expression but I am just afraid of someone working on changing his. OK, so it isn't natural per se but it is him ya know? I just don't see him doing it naturally and I kind of like his goofy funny self and don't want him to be all self conscious about what facial expression he is making.

Mom has a hard time with change too I guess. But hey, I think I will link here one of my favorite Mike goofy face pics and you can see what I mean.
http://tinyurl.com/9wzx4

and another cause he is so cute!
http://tinyurl.com/7qgth

Renee

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Registered: 08-26-2005
In reply to: rbear4
Thu, 02-16-2006 - 10:38pm
Renee,
I can't get the pictures for some reason but I bet he looks cute!By the way, thanks for the words of encouragement. I really needed someone to remind me to take care of myself first so my kids could get the best of me. I started with the therapist tonight and it went really well.The only problem is he really isn't very familiar with ASD's and although this is about me I wish he had a better understanding because I'm sure things will come up in relation to the kids that will go right over his head. I swear I could have sat there talking about everything for the whole evening(LOL)
Teresa
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Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Thu, 02-16-2006 - 11:10pm

DARN! I cant figure out what is wrong. If I can't get them to work here I might have to post them in that "other" place because I can attach them in the message there.

On the therapist, I understand what you mean. Though you don't need an autism specific one for you it does help to have someone who understands. The first therapist I tried had no clue and blew it off totally. Comments about how all parents have problems with kids, all kids are like that, etc. I don't think she was a stellar therapist anyway, KWIM? But after that I called my kids therapist who also does marriage and family therapy and asked her if I could see her too. The reasoning was that she understood the family dynamics and issues that go with autism as well as understood my family. So when I was talking about some frustration it wasn't greek or I didn't have to explain.

Plus she can give me some great tips on how to work with the kids.

Renee

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Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Fri, 02-17-2006 - 10:31am

I'm with you guys on the facial expression thing. When Sam is happy, he's *very* happy, when he's sad he's very sad. A bit dramatic, but that's Sam. If he has to smile for a pic and he hasn't been made to laugh naturally, it is not natural looking at all. His soccer picture is hilarious though because of it. Helping him learn some self control and to remember that even though he bumped his knee he isn't going to die would be great, but if he became too even tempered it wouldn't be Sam anymore. I wouldn't even know what to do!

Our IEP meetings have always been the opposite experience. Lots of focus on academics but little on behavior. They want him to straighten up and fly right, but they don't want to help him do it. We're getting a FBA done so we'll see how the meeting for those results goes.

It would be nice to have some kind of court reported to go with you to IEPs so you couldn't forget anything and there'd be a written account of everything that happened! And you'd get to focus on the meeting and not documenting.

Let us know how it goes!

Chrystee

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Registered: 02-24-2004
In reply to: rbear4
Fri, 02-17-2006 - 12:57pm

Hey Renee.....I got the pictures! Actually, I looked at all of them!! The kids are so cute! Great smiles!!

michelle