Best IEP meeting ever!

So I know a lot of us worry about the IEP and 504 plans. It's like, what's going to happen, are you going to put my kid in a small, dark room with one light bulb over her head with a metal door that creaks very slowly when it's opened? Will she become very pale and her eyes sunken in?

All kidding aside - just had a great IEP meeting. We brain stormed and came up with some really great ideas for my daughter like using her elective hour to focus of organization, executive skills and homework. She'll get to sit in the front of the room all the time. We have extra time for quizzes, assignments and homework (she doesn't know this) Small group for math and possibly during enrichment hour as well. Math teacher and her tutor are going to email every Monday so they are on the same page. Lots of little things that I would have never thought of....

I have had a very positive experience with everyone on the team - it IS possible!

[Alliea79]

I am soooo happy for you!!!! I can’t even talk about my recent IEP without losing my mind. The day or few after all in attendance were content (even kind of me) and I was at least going to give it another try with this backwards school. And it’s like dominoes played by a blind person. One by one things are not done, pushed way out to the last day of their allowable time (putting off the ability to give my daughter an effective method of education) for 2 more months of essentially being babysat all day in her time at middle school. Or they do things in different ways that go against reasoning. Sigh.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Alliea79]

Just curious if a supervisor attends your IEP? There should be a list of things to do so the school can check it off. Your voice is so powerful, please seek a higher person to make sure they are doing their jobs.

[Alliea79 in reply to Onthemove1971]

Our town head of SPED came to our latest one and she is seeing her worker bee shooting off emails as she broadcasts that she does a thing.... but they are either something that was not one of the things that were put on the IEP and important, or they are a small part of a multi step plan that she seems to have picked a piece at random throwing things off and out of the necessary order. I actually was able to get a meeting in with the director of a school that works with only students who have ADHD and the LD that often comes too. She is on board team Bella. It is a very new feeling to feel like I might finally have a solution in my back pocket. Like a superhero. lol. I’ve needed this. Now if I could just get my husband to help with the footwork. Or even ask about the meeting he knew I had. 🤔

[Lizwho930]

I needed to see this today. I literally just talked to the school counselor and told her we want to set up a meeting to make accommodations for our son. I am super nervous! You here so many mixed feelings on this. Some have said they don’t go this route because it goes on there academic record. Others have told me it is awesome because it can even help them in to college. We feel like we don’t even know what to ask for to help him. We have talked about having something in place before he moves on to intermediate school. He came home last week, after NWEA winter testing, talking about how long the test was and how hard it was to stay focused on the test. We knew then it was time to do something.

Did you guys do an IEP and a 504? I’m struggling to remember the difference. So glad to hear you had a great meeting! Definitely a success when you are feeling encouraged after any phone call or meeting with the school!

[Hidden]

Woohoo! I love good IEP meetings. It is so much better when you feel like it is a team effort and not a battle ground.

At that point with my daughter and they are so nice. Getting there with son. His meeting this week was not good or bad. Honestly, the hurdle is his teacher who I get the impression either doesn't believe in ADHD or just truly doesn't understand it. The rest of his team seems willing to help her with him.

[reg2018]

With a 504 you can ask for accomodations for your child. An IEP you can also get accomodations, but a could of the differences with an IEP is that the child has to qualify for the IEP, realistic goals have to be set for the IEP that the child is working toward, and then the school has to track how the child is performing on those goals.

For example, child's performance on tests is improving by 25% this year, or child is on-task 80% of the time. There are all kinds of goals that can be set, depending on the circumstances and needs of the child.

Many administrators resist IEPs because of the additional work it creates with having to track the goals. It's the accountability that it creates. They will typically recommend doing a 504 first and seeing if regular accomodations will do the trick in helping a child at school.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to reg2018]

Reg2018- from my experience, as long as special education staff is running the iep and they find cause there is no more work for anyone. I find when people Re not qualified to complete the entire process it is tough. But as long as the kid qualifies they should have an iep, this is determined by assessment.

Thanks for sharing.