Today begins with a potentially nasty and unpleasant IEP for Tommy. I think I’ll sit and create a bingo game during this one. Similar to the type used at boring business meetings, mine will be filled with the special vocabulary used in IEPs. Words like development, goals, reinforcement, behavior, etc. I could get a whole card just on the abbreviations – ABA, IEP, LRE, etc. I think I’ll leave out the diagnosis they like to toss around. At least Amy will be there to keep the meeting under three hours.
Fingers crossed that it won’t be as bad as you think although I’m not bettin on it. Hope it goes well.
Forgive my ignorance, but what is an IEP?
That said, I will say a prayer for you during the meeting…:-)
Good luck! I also feel that mainstreaming is a mixed bag. Make sure that you that you take notes during the meeting. Tommy has a right to an education and the right to be treated at least as fairly as any other student. Don’t let the jargon grind you down–the issue at hand is what’s best for him and what will allow him to develop his strengths which from your blog appear to be in the IT area. All the best. A
Good luck. I hope everything goes well.
Individual Education Plan
The IEP went pretty well.
They use the IEP’s for Special Ed too. My son was in SE for years and every damn year I had to attend those meetings. I agree that not much agreed to actually happens though.
We stopped even attending these exercises in futility. We discovered that the IEP program is basically a file folder that can be pulled out to show state auditors. Nothing that was “agreed” upon in the meetings and paperwork was actually implemented to any degree of usefulness. I’m starting to believe that “mainstreaming” special needs kids is a good idea that is really a utopian fantasy. I think it is also a catchword that really means “saving money” by not paying special ed teachers. Our kids don’t get the extra attention they need and, by being a disruption to the rest of the class, create irritated teachers who haven’t been trained well enough in the education of special needs children. The regular classes also spark attacks by the other students who, let’s face it, are a bunch of hurtful bastards.
This has been my experience. Maybe others have been more successful.