Doodle Bug Chronicles: May 2011

Transition to Kindergarten IEP

Dr. Seuss's IEP

Author Unknown

(To The Rhythm Of "Green Eggs & Ham")

Do you like these IEPs?

I do not like these IEPs
I do not like them, Geez Louise

We test, we check

We plan, we meet

But nothing ever seems complete

Would you, could you like the form?

I do not like the form I see

Not page 1, not 2, not 3

Another change

A brand new box

I think we all

Have lost our rocks

Could you all meet here or there?

We could not all meet here or there

We cannot all fit anywhere!

Not in a room

Not in the hall

There seems to be no space at all

Would you, could you meet again?

I cannot meet again next week

No lunch, no prep

Please hear me speak

No not at dusk. No not at dawn

At 4 p.m. I should be gone

Could you hear while all speak out?

Would you write the words they spout?

I could not hear, I would not write

This does not need to be a fight

Sign here, date there

Mark this, check that

Beware the student's ad-vo-cat(e)

You do not like them

So you say

Try again, try again!

And you may

If you will let me be

I will try again

You'll see

Say!

I almost like these IEPs!

I think I'll write six thousand three

And I will practice day and night

Until they say

"You've got it right!"

##############

And so it went....Jim and I went to the Doodle's IEP on Thursday afternoon, it was Jim's first time at an IEP. I warned him that they were intimidating, sad and not at all fun and that I usually cried at some point and would probably have to get bitchy and demanding. He went anyway. He was surprised at how many people were there all sitting around a board room table ready to talk about our son. So we sat for close to 2 1/2 hours talking about the Doodle and his progress and lack of progress in some cases--we were told how far behind he really is developmentally; which is no surprise but so much harder to hear when hearing it read monotone in a crowded room from other people. An IEP, as personal as it might be, feels very clinical when they talk about the "subject" (your child) in terms of where he might be on the vast autism spectrum, what age level he is functioning and how much support he needs.

For the most part, I held it together; maybe because Jim was there with me. Instead, Jim cried. All of the people involved in caring for the Doodle go around the table and give their reports and talk about if he hit his annual goals--the teacher, nurse, speech therapist, ocupational therapist, shape aid, etc. And when they were all finished, Jim thanked them for being so very kind and caring so much for our special little boy--that's when he got all choked up; which, in turn, made me cry.

It's hard to make a decision on where to send the Doodle to Kindergarten since nothing feels like a good fit right now and especially because they can't tell me the definitively who, what and where--they have given a few options and I went and looked at what I could--I can either put the Doodle into a mixed class of different types of special needs kids--or I can put him in a very structured class for just Autistic children. But, they cannot tell me yet where the class room is going to be for sure and who the teacher may be. Without that pertinent information, I cannot yet make the determination, therefore, I did not sign the IEP in full and won't make that decision until I can weigh all the facts involved. Sigh.

Happy Number 500 Post!

The Alternative

Watching television lately has been more than depressing...probably something I ought to stay away from but it takes my mind off of my reality living with a little guy with Autism and Epilepsy. It’s nothing but bad news and Real Housewives. Devastation from the surge of Tornados in the Midwest and the South to the Giant’s fan, Brian Stowe, who is still fighting for his life after being brutally beaten at a season opener. There’s the constant threat of terrorism, the world coming to an end, tax increases, poor judgment from politicians (so what else is new?), the state of our school system, abducted babies taken from their cribs, senseless crime, unemployment, increase in Cancer and other diseases….need I go on?

Dora the Explorer and Blue’s Clues are beginning to make sense to me in a different way than before and I don’t mind having them on the T.V. instead of the alternative. Even watching the Celebrity Apprentice finale was depressing—yet enlightening. One of the finalists, country singer John Rich, was doing the show to raise money for St. Jude’s Hospital and seeing the many children and families who are fighting for their lives and trying to save their kids from devastating diseases like Cancer was a huge wake up call for me. Sadly but gratefully, it woke me up and reminded me to be thankful and blessed for everything I have and for my family. There could be much worse things than having a nonverbal special needs child with autism and a seizure disorder so I think I need to get over myself and remember to look at the bright side of things more often instead of dwelling on this unfair hand I feel I have been dealt.

Giving the Doodle a Hair Cut is more fun than....

...A Clown On Fire.

Is it Really May?

I can't believe we're already in month 5.....where did the time go?

Big news around here would be that the Doodle finally got his cast off.

I've been a bad blogger and haven't been blogging much lately. It's not like things aren't happening around here, just the opposite actually-things have been crazy busy and blogging is just one more thing on my to-do-list that doesn't seem to be getting done.

Here's a picture of the boys coloring Easter Eggs.

Better late than never, right?

And here is the Doodle on Easter morning playing with his new Thomas the Train from grammy. He's having the hardest time waiting for the train to come around the track, I thought it was teaching him patience.
Not so much.