IEP

  Well as we all know time flies and my three year old will soon be four! YIKES!  I have talked about his communication delay in past posts and he is now coming up for his yearly IEP re-evaluation.  He was in the hands of the Tri County Regional Center until the age of three, at that point he was turned over to the school district that we were physically living in at that point in time.  We then moved and he changed districts so hence changed programs and teachers ( which I hate) more paperwork more changes with structure and how things are done. I can’t complain too much I have been fortunate enough to like all his teachers/therapists. 

     Quick Tip: IEP stands for Individualized Education Program it is a written document that’s developed for each public school child who is eligible for special education.  The IEP is created through a team effort and reviewed at least once a year. Five factors are used to evaluate how a child’s disability and learning are impacted. The five factors are,

1. Behavior problems.
2. Limited English speaking ability
3. Visual impairment’
4. Hearing or communication impairment
5. A need for assistive technology or services

So IEPs are for children who have a disability that affects their learning. 

     Tristan is only being treated for speech and communication delay and will also be looked at for attention span. I say “only” because it could be a lot worse but I do not take his condition lightly.  I get such mixed feelings when it comes to this. On one hand, I start to feel very protective and guarded, I start to feel like my son is being labeled. On the other hand, I get nervous that he has not improved and I have not worked enough with him and that I have failed him.  On top of working a full time job and starting a small business I try so hard to work on his communication development. Some days I hear and understand him pretty clearly and enjoy hearing him repeat/try to repeat all the words I say yet some days it’s like he is speaking a forign language. 

     Side Note: I work with a beautiful young lady who is a single mom to a 6yr old son who has Autism.  It was very rough on her in the beginning but she held on and stayed strong through the rough times and now he is doing so much better.  In toddler stages he was sick a lot, making it hard on not only on her personally but work wise as well. He had the classic issues of not smiling, not talking/communicating, he did not handle loud environments well, he was a very picky eater.  She was beside herself so many times though now with the help from programs and county he has improved immensely and also goes to regular class at school. Just like his mom he has a great affection for animals and lights up when ever he is around them.  I hear him talk to her over the phone ( yes that’s how loud he is, I can hear him from the receiver’s end of the phone) and I feel encouraged that Tristan will also have a wonderful strong voice. I know all these things about them because I have been able to confide in her my situation with Tristan and I was there to witness her struggles and victories.  It is very nice having a friend who is a mom going through or went through similar situations. I encourage all moms to find a support group or friends with similar struggles to confide in.  

Here are a couple of Support groups:

1)Marcus autism center

2)Autism Speaks

3)AANE

4)Parents Helping Parents  

Thanks For Reading

Heidi Parker