Another IEP Meeting

If you don't know what this is, and IEP meeting is when you have a special meeting with the school district, teachers and therapists to talk about your kids to determine any actions that need to be taken with special needs. It also helps everyone to be on the same page with their different evaluations and goals.

A couple of months ago, at one of these meetings I requested that Dallin be evaluated by a speech therapist to see if there was a need for speech therapy. That evaluation was done and this was a follow up meeting to discuss results. The great thing was that Dallin's articulation is very age appropriate. He speaks really clearly. He has a lot of word and uses a lot of sentences, but his expressive language is in the 4th percentile. This is because he has trouble with WH questions. He also doesn't look at the big picture in a situation. For example he can identify every animal on a table by name, but he can't generalize them into calling them animals. When he sees pictures with scenes or scenarios, he focuses on one thing like the grapes, not the picnic shown in the picture. So these are a couple of areas that we need to work on. He also can't really talk or understand past tense much at all yet.

The therapist said that she believes that he is progressing so fast with his school and home therapies, that he will catch up and doesn't really need additional therapy. I was skeptical with this, but after talking for a long time, I am content with that decision. He is growing so rapidly that I think she is right. Poor little guy has such a busy schedule as it is.

The best part of the meeting for me was when the district supervisor looked at me and told me outright that the gap is closing very quickly with Dallin and she really thinks that he has a great chance of attending a regular Kindergarten. THE GAP IS CLOSING!!! This ABA therapy works! His school is giving him such a head start too. It is a beautiful combination. Wow, to hear that from someone who follows him closely brought tears to my eyes. I have spent so much time wondering and worrying about where his potential would be. I dream of some day having all this hard work and time pay off and having his diagnosis removed (it happens!) but I try to be real about it too. I just love him so much and he is such a sweet little boy. I want to give him every opportunity for success that is possible.

So now that the meeting is over, I still may look into some private speech therapy, but I am leaning towards agreeing with the school district that it may not be necessary. Next month I will start him up with some rec center soccer which I think will be great for his energy level, social skills, and following directions. I am also really considering a special diet for his food sensitivities again (we did that once before) at least on a trial basis. I really think this could help with hyperactivity. So that is my plan for now, just keep working with him and never giving up on his progress. Now if we could just get a handle on the potty training and bed time so that I can have some sanity that would be great.