The Meeting

A few weeks ago I dressed professionally, wore jewelry, put on makeup, and even painted my nails.  None of that was necessarily essential, but I want to look professional whenever I go to "the meeting." 

This was the annual IEP meeting for LM.  IEP = Individualized Education Program

I had spent much time in the weeks leading up to the IEP meeting, researching, networking, praying, and mobilizing prayer. 

I had been quite nervous the day before, but that morning told Jim that I could tell people were praying.  And I came home exhausted (feeling like I had been through the wringer in fact), but thankful.  Very thankful!!  The only way it could have gone better is if the Lord had miraculously opened a Christian special ed school in our village! 

As a result of the meeting, the team:

• changed the reading curriculum they’re using with her (to UFLI, one on my shortlist of three I was hoping for), 
• increased her daily 1:1 special ed minutes for reading from 25 to 45 (she will continue to have 25 min/day 1:1 in special ed for math, and 50 min/day with a 1:1 aide in the classroom), 
• decided to do a phonemic awareness assessment & add a few more reading goals,
• strengthened her goals, assuming that she will make ambitious progress (more than 12 months progress in 12 months),
• kept her on the OT caseload to make sure she gets enough sensory breaks so she can learn, 
• more than doubled her speech goals to include ones that are communication-based (learning how to form sentences & questions) rather than just articulation (/l/, /r/, and /th/), 
• and added a few accommodations I asked for, including:
•  remote learning day (snow day) packets to be on her instructional level rather than her grade level, 
• minimizing the amount of time she participates in sustained independent reading until she attains mastery, and 
• not using the computer-based special ed instruction software during her 1:1 time with the special ed teacher.  

All of this is in addition to twice-weekly tutoring we provide, and a summer homeschool I am planning even now.  

If you know and love our sweet (& very capable, might I add!) girl, will you please pray that she will indeed make ambitious progress? 

I have a lot I could say, but in this public place, I will focus on gratitude & prayer. :)