Yesterday was our son's annual Individual Education Plan meeting. I had communicated some concerns to staff a few months ago, and was pleased at the response.
The moderator did a great job moving things along, getting the input of the physical therapist, occupational therapist, adaptive phys ed teacher, regular ed teachers, paraprofessional aide, special ed teacher, principal, county service coordinator, psychologist, speech therapist, and parents.
The principal was helpful and suggested several accommodations that could be made. The aide will be able to observe speech and carry that over into the rest of the week, as I wanted.
The adaptive phys ed teacher said she hasn't seen anything in her eight years of teaching like the way our son took off on the tricycle this year. It's increased attention span, direct gaze, lung capacity for speech, morale, self-confidence, etc. (He got a horn on the tricycle today. He honked at the hall intersection. The children in the hall stopped to let him cross, and clapped for him. The art teacher is going to have a few fifth graders make a little safety city, for him to work on waiting, and crossing the street. He's going to have stop signs. Another classmate might accompany him, on a bicycle. The class is studying simple machines in class, and might look at the tricycle, as an example.)
The assistive tech/Intellitools person and one of the district special ed gurus are meeting with the aide and our son's special ed teacher Monday morning, first thing, to continue Intellitools training. The special ed staff person is doing her master's on teaching nonverbal children to read!
The team will meet again for data checks 12/21.
The speech therapist is working on incorporating words from the Love and Learning videos our son has been watching for several years into Intellitools activities.
The moderator displayed (and suggested) the book Teaching Reading to Children with DS, which I have been wishing the school would use with our son. I was very encouraged.
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I'm glad your IEP meeting with the teachers went so well - your son sounds like he is making great progress.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Islandsparrow. He has come a long way already this year, and we have great hopes for the rest of the year.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear that you have had some real encouragement!
ReplyDeleteI love the image of your adorable boy honking the horn at the hordes of kids in the hallway! What a great team you've got -- they sound so creative!
ReplyDelete-J
what an encouraging meeting!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martin, Janet, and Truevyne. It's something to be thankful for, for sure.
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