Yesterday Henry's teacher sent home a rough draft of his IEP. Why, after all these years, do I feel a pang of hurt when I read these? It's a knee-jerk defensive reaction to the fact that someone is criticizing my son. It's so silly, really, because these people are there to help my son and they have to write stuff this way to make it fit in their system. I know that, but it still makes me a little sad- just a little.
Anyway, here are some of the highlights, for those who are interested:
1. a. need: Henry completes class work independently 40% of the time. When asked to leave computer, puzzles and leisure area, Henry will verbally refuse 70% of the time. When a classroom rule is broken, Henry will follow classroom consequences 30% of the time with prompts.
b. goal: Henry will follow classroom rules, quietly transition from preferred activities, and follow written and verbal directions.
2. a. need: Henry will refuse writing assignments 90% of the time. Currently he will write one 3-4 word sentence with prompting for each word. He also requires prompt to create the sentence.
b. goal: Henry will increase number of words written and use sentences to express his own ideas.
3. a. need: During free time and recess, Henry chooses not to interact with peers. He will read, play the computer or puzzles 100% of the time. He will initiate playing tag during playground time.
b. goal: Henry will learn new leisure activities to participate in during free time or recess.
4. a. need: Henry needs physical and verbal help to open a juice box and food container. Henry picks apart his food in small pieces to eat. Henry needs prompts to wipe mouth and clean up area each time he eats.*
b. goal: Henry will eat food appropriately and open food items independently 90% of time.
5. a. need: Henry frequently asks for help, but needs to develop effective fine motor skills that will increase his independence in activities of daily living at school.
b. goal: Upon request, Henry will independently perform self-care tasks at school. (squeeze glue, fold paper, close snaps, fasten buttons, zip zippers)
6. a. need: Henry demonstrates an immature throwing pattern. Henry requires an adult hand when on the low balance beam and needs to walk in a typical gait, instead of a shuffle with one foot following the other.*
b. goal: Henry will demonstrate a mature pattern when walking on the balance beam and overhand throwing a ball.
And then 3 speech-language pathologist goals:
1. Henry needs to articulate the "r" sound clearly in order to get his message across to listeners accurately. Henry currently substitutes "w" for "r" in all positions in words.
2. After completing a task, Henry needs to improve his ability to answer questions about the activity, including those related to sequential concepts. Currently, Henry is able to sequence 3-4 picture cards and answer questions about the picture sequence. He continues to have difficulty sequencing real events in the classroom and reporting the sequence once the activity is complete and he has moved on.
3. Henry needs to discuss and answer questions about stories he reads and stories read aloud to the class. Henry currently answers simple "wh" questions about stories of high interest but demonstrates inconsistencies in his ability to answer questions about stories, especially those read aloud during group times.
*These ones in particular made me feel a little sad. I think because the way he eats and the way he moves are so much a part of what is Henry. Even though I know they are not the right way to do things, I don't like to think that they are wrong, either.
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4 comments:
IEPs have a terrible way of being very negative. I heard some teachers recently discuss that in NYC the IEP process is under investigation for this particular reason. Hopefully, they'll come up with a less offensive way to do this.
I often feel a little sad on IEP days, too. And I find myself wanting to argue semantics, because I find their one-line summaries laden with assumptions they are treating as fact.
For example: Henry currently answers simple "wh" questions about stories of high interest but demonstrates inconsistencies in his ability to answer questions about stories, especially those read aloud during group times.
I'll grant them that he probably doesn't answer their questions consistently, but I might argue their assumption that it is due to "inconsistencies in his ability" to do so. When he doesn't answer their questions, it could be because he found their story boring and/or their questions insipid. Of course it could be because he is unable to answer at that time - but I think there' a danger in making the assumption of it. I'd be more comfortable if the IEP simply identified the behavior they observe (that he answers inconsistently), instead of assuming that he has "inconsistent ablity."
Climbing down off my soapbox...
I sooooo know what you mean! On the 27th, we have to have a "Mother May I" IEP meeting to start the testing for Kindergarten. Can we just skip it and I can tell you that he needs to be in an inclusive ESE classroom instead of an NT one? sigh.
I also know what you mean about the ones that bothered you, too. I think the bunch of us should get shirts that read
I LIKE my quirky kid!
I found their thoroughness in Henry's needs helpful. Not in what Henry needs, but in how they see him. The goals, like zipping coat independantly, left me wondering how they were going to achieve this? Will Henry have someone work with him "x" amount of times during the day on this skill? Does he have the fine motor skills to do it? Is he developmentaly ready? Buttons and zippers require a lot of skill.
The other part that I found kinda amusing is the fact that Henry eats his food in small pieces and that they decided to make that a goal. Is it just me, because we struggled with Gabe just to get him to eat, that this goal sounds a little nit picky? How exactly are they going to make him eat in larger bites? That seemed like a strange goal to me. Like you said, it's part of who Henry is. I like to eat the toppings off of my pizza first before I eat the crust. There is'nt an IEP goal out there that could change that for me.
I'm wondering who these goals really are serving? He should zipper his coat , so they don't have too? Maybe I am way over here in left field, not getting it, but maybe you should write goals for them that best serve Henry and his needs?
Good luck :o)
Kristin
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