Last week was the first of many IEP meetings we will have for Claire in the years to come. While not really excited about it, I wasn't dreading it either. Our district preschool is inclusive, and the teacher Claire was placed with had a student with Down syndrome in her class for the last two years. While every child is different, it's so nice that J (Claire's teacher) is at least familiar with Ds.
Since many of the providers haven't met Claire, I prepared a packet with some additional info on her, how she communicates, and her likes and dislikes. It also included some general info on Down syndrome and some communication strategies. The packet I used also included a spot for a photo, which I love as it helps remind everyone that all of this is for *Claire*.
Claire's services in school will be 30 minutes a week each of ST, OT and sign language support.
After the IEP meeting we walked through Claire's classroom to make sure that all places in it were accessible to her, and picked out her cubby. There is a little person in Claire's class so we were easily able to find a chair and coat hook that will fit her!
Today we finish her behavior support plan, next week is her home visit with her teachers, and the week after that she starts school!
Showing posts with label IEP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IEP. Show all posts
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Annnnd we're back....
Hopefully.
(and with a super long post)
This last few weeks (months?) have been so busy, both at work and at home, that I've had a hard time keeping up. And as far behind as I was, it was just easier to take a break for a while.
So, what have you missed?
Sleep Study:
At the end of September (see how far behind I am??) Claire had her sleep study. She sleeps like a log for a couple of hours, but then flip flops the rest of the night. Some mornings she is just tired, and we wondered if her lack of good sleep was playing into the behavior challenges we've been having. Unfortunately (fortunately?), the sleep study didn't give us too many answers. She doesn't have obstructive apnea (from her tonsils), but some incidences of central apnea were noted. The doctor said that if he counted them all, it would be significant, but that he thinks they were over-scored?? So, we are having her results looked at by the Down syndrome clinic in a couple of weeks, and we should know more then.
Claire did great getting hooked up with all the wires and fell asleep pretty quickly. We waited until she was out before adding the nasal canula. In typical Clairey fashion, she woke up about 4 am (earlier than usual), and wouldn't go back to sleep, so we had to end the test early as she kept pulling the wires off with all her tossing and turning.
The first picture and the second video were taken so she could see herself in my phone, and she was hamming it up for herself. :)
Sleep Study 1 from Melissa Moos on Vimeo.
Sleep Study 2 from Melissa Moos on Vimeo.
PEP Conference:
PEP is a conference put on by the Colorado Department of Education, and it is the only conference of its kind in the country. It is put on by parents, for parents, but providers and educators can also attend. It covers all kids of disabilities and all ages of children. Topics presented on include the grief cycle, IEPs, and disability and the law. The program is funded by the Department of Education and the hotel room and most meals are provided. If you are in Colorado, I strongly recommend you consider attending. It's an empowering weekend, and well worth the time.
Lots of antibiotics:
My mom and Bridget went to the PEP Conference with me as Bridget had a bit of a bug right before we left. The day after we got back from PEP, Bridget still had a low grade fever, and she also had a rash show up on her back So off to the doctors we went, where the verdict was strep. This was followed by a call to my mom (who also didn't feel well), and she had strep too. We figured Claire was next, so I got her into the doctor that afternoon too. Claire may or may not have had strep, but she had fluid in her ear, so she went on antibiotics too. A couple of days later it was my turn to call the doctor and take him up on his offer for a prescription too!
Pumpkins:
Halloween:
Our church does a carnival every year with games and bounce houses. Since Claire really isn't into candy, this was a better choice that traditional trick-or-treating. The girls looked adorable, but I never got any good pictures of them in their costumes this year, just a few snapped at the church. Claire *loved* the huge slide and went down many times by herself and with Darren.
Preschool Assessment:
I was so nervous for Claire's preschool assessment. I wanted her to do good, to show all of these people her awesome skills, but I just wasn't sure how she would do. You get Claire on a good day, and she will show off and charm everyone. If it's a bad day you will feel the force of her tantrum. Luckily, the assessment fell on a good day.
Of course, she didn't cooperate on *everything*, but I was awfully impressed by her. She wouldn't point to the baby's eyes or nose, but she stacked blocks and sorted items correctly into containers, and showed off some of her words and signs. I got a copy of her assessment last week as we prepare for her IEP (in 3 weeks), and I think it showed a pretty fair representation of her skills. Some things aren't checked that she obviously knows (like action words...eating, sleeping), but I'm good with the results we got.
Tubes are Scheduled:
Claire has had fluid in her ears, and been on antibiotics, twice in the last couple of months. About ten days after she finishes her antibiotics her ears and sinuses fill back up with gunk. She's been congested and uncomfortable so we decided that it's time to put her tubes back in. She'll have her neck x-rays done a couple of days before the tubes just to make sure all is well there, and when the tubes are done she'll have an ABR done at the same time just to be sure her hearing is good.
Whew! I think that covers the highlights anyways. :)
(and with a super long post)
This last few weeks (months?) have been so busy, both at work and at home, that I've had a hard time keeping up. And as far behind as I was, it was just easier to take a break for a while.
So, what have you missed?
Sleep Study:
At the end of September (see how far behind I am??) Claire had her sleep study. She sleeps like a log for a couple of hours, but then flip flops the rest of the night. Some mornings she is just tired, and we wondered if her lack of good sleep was playing into the behavior challenges we've been having. Unfortunately (fortunately?), the sleep study didn't give us too many answers. She doesn't have obstructive apnea (from her tonsils), but some incidences of central apnea were noted. The doctor said that if he counted them all, it would be significant, but that he thinks they were over-scored?? So, we are having her results looked at by the Down syndrome clinic in a couple of weeks, and we should know more then.
Claire did great getting hooked up with all the wires and fell asleep pretty quickly. We waited until she was out before adding the nasal canula. In typical Clairey fashion, she woke up about 4 am (earlier than usual), and wouldn't go back to sleep, so we had to end the test early as she kept pulling the wires off with all her tossing and turning.
The first picture and the second video were taken so she could see herself in my phone, and she was hamming it up for herself. :)
Sleep Study 1 from Melissa Moos on Vimeo.
Sleep Study 2 from Melissa Moos on Vimeo.
PEP Conference:
PEP is a conference put on by the Colorado Department of Education, and it is the only conference of its kind in the country. It is put on by parents, for parents, but providers and educators can also attend. It covers all kids of disabilities and all ages of children. Topics presented on include the grief cycle, IEPs, and disability and the law. The program is funded by the Department of Education and the hotel room and most meals are provided. If you are in Colorado, I strongly recommend you consider attending. It's an empowering weekend, and well worth the time.
Lots of antibiotics:
My mom and Bridget went to the PEP Conference with me as Bridget had a bit of a bug right before we left. The day after we got back from PEP, Bridget still had a low grade fever, and she also had a rash show up on her back So off to the doctors we went, where the verdict was strep. This was followed by a call to my mom (who also didn't feel well), and she had strep too. We figured Claire was next, so I got her into the doctor that afternoon too. Claire may or may not have had strep, but she had fluid in her ear, so she went on antibiotics too. A couple of days later it was my turn to call the doctor and take him up on his offer for a prescription too!
Pumpkins:
Halloween:
Our church does a carnival every year with games and bounce houses. Since Claire really isn't into candy, this was a better choice that traditional trick-or-treating. The girls looked adorable, but I never got any good pictures of them in their costumes this year, just a few snapped at the church. Claire *loved* the huge slide and went down many times by herself and with Darren.
Preschool Assessment:
I was so nervous for Claire's preschool assessment. I wanted her to do good, to show all of these people her awesome skills, but I just wasn't sure how she would do. You get Claire on a good day, and she will show off and charm everyone. If it's a bad day you will feel the force of her tantrum. Luckily, the assessment fell on a good day.
Of course, she didn't cooperate on *everything*, but I was awfully impressed by her. She wouldn't point to the baby's eyes or nose, but she stacked blocks and sorted items correctly into containers, and showed off some of her words and signs. I got a copy of her assessment last week as we prepare for her IEP (in 3 weeks), and I think it showed a pretty fair representation of her skills. Some things aren't checked that she obviously knows (like action words...eating, sleeping), but I'm good with the results we got.
Tubes are Scheduled:
Claire has had fluid in her ears, and been on antibiotics, twice in the last couple of months. About ten days after she finishes her antibiotics her ears and sinuses fill back up with gunk. She's been congested and uncomfortable so we decided that it's time to put her tubes back in. She'll have her neck x-rays done a couple of days before the tubes just to make sure all is well there, and when the tubes are done she'll have an ABR done at the same time just to be sure her hearing is good.
Whew! I think that covers the highlights anyways. :)
Friday, April 20, 2012
Early Intervention to Preschool Transition
Even though Claire won't be three until January, we've already started worrying about working on the transition to preschool. We live in a fairly small town, and because of this there are limited preschool options, some of which would need to start at two and a half.
We marked Head Start off our list early. The location of the program is a bit of a drive and would require a lot of flexibility at work, or a bus ride for Claire. I'm not ok putting a non-verbal two year old on a bus, so that was out.
Next to be scratched off our list was our church preschool/daycare. I approached them before Claire's first birthday to see about her attending daycare there. I told them she wouldn't be walking by then (a requirement), and wanted to know if there were any exceptions that could be made. I was told they checked with the state and that nothing could be done. Maybe they checked, maybe they didn't. All I know is that the daycare we have Claire in now quickly found a way for her to be in the toddler room with her peers even though she wasn't walking. Which leads me to assume (dangerous, I know) that they just didn't want to be bothered by Claire's "needs" and this was the easiest way to get out of her being there. If a program can't put forth a little extra effort for my child, I don't want her there.
This left us with two options. The in district half day preschool program, and an out of district (private) all day preschool/daycare option.
The out of district school is where we would eventually like Claire to go, but we decided against their preschool program for now. First of all, she would have to start this fall, at two and a half, to be guaranteed a spot. Second, it's a bit of a drive, about 20 minutes. I can do that with my work schedule, but it does add a little extra crazy to our morning. The biggest drawback for me with this preschool was the room itself. The preschool room is SMALL. Probably a third of the size of the daycare room she's in now. Add in all the preschool stations, almost double the number of kids she's used to (some of them easily twice her size), and I see her being totally overwhelmed. Also, while there is supposed to be a nap/quiet time in the afternoons, I don't see the one small room ever really getting quiet enough for her to nap well. And a good nap is essential for all of our well being. In addition to all of that, the daycare will also take siblings to age 12 after school, adding more big kids to an already crowded small room.
The in district option has quite a few advantages, at least for this first preschool year. First, she can transition at three. They will guarantee her a morning spot, which will leave her afternoons open for the all important nap. There are five classrooms, and while it is a mixed age group (bigger kids) the rooms are large enough that I'm confident she can find a quiet spot if she needs to decompress for a bit. She'll also be in the same town as me. If something comes up, I'll be five minutes away, instead of 25 minutes away.
My one concern about this preschool, which will be addressed, is that when I visited, the classroom I was shown seemed to have a lot of children with special needs in it. Of course, this was the room that was recommended for Claire. It was presented as the choice for her as there is usually an aide there and that the teacher knows some sign (which is good), however I will not have her placed in that room *because* she has Down syndrome. When I visited there were eight children in the room (the other small group of eight was in another room for a project), and 3 or 4 of them had noticeable special needs. I am concerned that this room has become the unofficial "special ed" preschool class.
Now that the where has been decided, we are focusing on the when. Claire could start preschool at two and and half. I would prefer she start at three, but we will also be changing daycare (her center only goes to age 3), and I want to space the changes out so we don't have new daycare and preschool dropped on her all at once. We have begun the daycare search, and I hope to have her settled someplace new this summer, so that she can start preschool after the winter break.
The next daunting task is the IEP...
We marked Head Start off our list early. The location of the program is a bit of a drive and would require a lot of flexibility at work, or a bus ride for Claire. I'm not ok putting a non-verbal two year old on a bus, so that was out.
Next to be scratched off our list was our church preschool/daycare. I approached them before Claire's first birthday to see about her attending daycare there. I told them she wouldn't be walking by then (a requirement), and wanted to know if there were any exceptions that could be made. I was told they checked with the state and that nothing could be done. Maybe they checked, maybe they didn't. All I know is that the daycare we have Claire in now quickly found a way for her to be in the toddler room with her peers even though she wasn't walking. Which leads me to assume (dangerous, I know) that they just didn't want to be bothered by Claire's "needs" and this was the easiest way to get out of her being there. If a program can't put forth a little extra effort for my child, I don't want her there.
This left us with two options. The in district half day preschool program, and an out of district (private) all day preschool/daycare option.
The out of district school is where we would eventually like Claire to go, but we decided against their preschool program for now. First of all, she would have to start this fall, at two and a half, to be guaranteed a spot. Second, it's a bit of a drive, about 20 minutes. I can do that with my work schedule, but it does add a little extra crazy to our morning. The biggest drawback for me with this preschool was the room itself. The preschool room is SMALL. Probably a third of the size of the daycare room she's in now. Add in all the preschool stations, almost double the number of kids she's used to (some of them easily twice her size), and I see her being totally overwhelmed. Also, while there is supposed to be a nap/quiet time in the afternoons, I don't see the one small room ever really getting quiet enough for her to nap well. And a good nap is essential for all of our well being. In addition to all of that, the daycare will also take siblings to age 12 after school, adding more big kids to an already crowded small room.
The in district option has quite a few advantages, at least for this first preschool year. First, she can transition at three. They will guarantee her a morning spot, which will leave her afternoons open for the all important nap. There are five classrooms, and while it is a mixed age group (bigger kids) the rooms are large enough that I'm confident she can find a quiet spot if she needs to decompress for a bit. She'll also be in the same town as me. If something comes up, I'll be five minutes away, instead of 25 minutes away.
My one concern about this preschool, which will be addressed, is that when I visited, the classroom I was shown seemed to have a lot of children with special needs in it. Of course, this was the room that was recommended for Claire. It was presented as the choice for her as there is usually an aide there and that the teacher knows some sign (which is good), however I will not have her placed in that room *because* she has Down syndrome. When I visited there were eight children in the room (the other small group of eight was in another room for a project), and 3 or 4 of them had noticeable special needs. I am concerned that this room has become the unofficial "special ed" preschool class.
Now that the where has been decided, we are focusing on the when. Claire could start preschool at two and and half. I would prefer she start at three, but we will also be changing daycare (her center only goes to age 3), and I want to space the changes out so we don't have new daycare and preschool dropped on her all at once. We have begun the daycare search, and I hope to have her settled someplace new this summer, so that she can start preschool after the winter break.
The next daunting task is the IEP...
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