Gen’s birthday is November 28th, so it is in November that we have the distinct pleasure of her IEP meeting. That sounds a lot more snarky than it really is; Gen’s IEP meeting has never been a big problem. For those of you not in the know, an IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, is the official document for your special needs child’s academic year. It states all of the goals for the year, and designates how many hours are going to be devoted to meeting those goals, and how it’s all gonna play out. It’s a legal document. Certain people must be present. Also, the parent can dispute it, and can request that it be modified at any time. We’ve never had a problem with Gen’s, mostly because she usually does pretty well, and almost always has the same general goals. Toilet training. Class participation. Fine motor skills. Gen has a lot of strengths, especially academically. She has a great memory for details, and loves to be read to, and most often likes to participate in crafty stuff. She usually doesn’t get angry with her classmates, and does a fairly good job of following her teacher’s instructions. Like many kids, she reserves her worst behavior for dear old Mom and dad, plus her siblings. Which is probably for the best, otherwise going out would be worse than it is already. Anyway, normally the annual meeting is just kind of a check the box affair. But I got an email from her teacher today suggesting that we move her to the typically developing Preschool after Winter break. She’s been spending some time in the typical classroom next door, and is doing great. She will have special ed advisers for help with speech therapy and toilet training (which she’s actually doing great with lately, the switch finally seems to have flipped on that one!) and she will continue to have an IEP so that if she regresses she can transition back to special ed.
I’m happy, I really am! I’m excited! You want your kid to do their best, and you want them to have every possible opportunity. Let’s face it, there are more opportunities afforded to people who are educated within the typical classroom than in the special ed classroom, for the most part. This is not a comment on special ed. I have huge buckets of respect for most special ed teachers, and for the program Gen’s been in, and I give it a big thumbs up. But what I mean is that really truly most parents would prefer their children to be able to be in the regular classroom. Myself included.
However, I’m so torn. I’m nervous for her. I hope she’s ready. She’s been with her current teachers and most of the same students for at least two, some of them three, years now. Two of the little girls she likes most have Down’s Syndrome, and will likely not be moving into the typical classroom soon. This year, the special ed program at our local elementary school closed, and Gen’s bussed to a different school. Just so happens, that the typical classroom she has been visiting is also the classroom of Addie, who you may remember from yesterday’s post. When Gen transitions, she’ll be coming back to our local school. So she’ll have an unfamiliar teacher and a whole new crew of unfamiliar students. She’ll probably still be in a pull-up. There is every reason to believe that she will continue to grimace when she’s stressed out. She will probably still suck her thumb when she’s tired, or needs comfort. She will still have problems eating food that is touching other food, and she won’t like it when some cabinet doors are open but others are closed. She will continue to scream and hit when she gets confused, and I can’t see that she will stop being confused.
So am I happy she’s transitioning? Of course I am. And I think it’s a good thing she’s doing so now, in preschool, when kids are still learning the ropes of school, and are mostly non judgmental. When they still have potty accidents, and nobody is expected to be able to write his or her name. But I am a mom, and I’m protective, and I don’t want her to be made fun of, or ostracized, or otherwise bullied. I want her to be able to explore the wold in the way that feels safe for her. And I think she can probably do it. But, what if she can’t? Will she suffer if she “fails?” Because I wouldn’t see it as failure, but will she? Probably not. She’ll probably do just fine.
Which is why you could say I am cautiously optimistic.
Any comments anybody might have regarding this kind of transition would be super duper welcome. Thanks!
But now I start my next class. I’m actually really looking forward to this class. It’s called “Personal Fitness and Wellness for Optimal Living.” Also, I just noticed that Jamie Oliver’s Ted Talk is part of the required viewing. Can do, Teach! I just love Jamie Oliver.
Everybody has a seat. Atha is warming up here in this photo. Here’s how Genny warms up. She’s a little bit more punk rock to Atha’s Diva. 
That’s right, she opens up by having a drink. The concert started out with some lovely horns:
As you can see, Gen’s still got her drink. Maybe she had too much, because she slowly became unsatisfied with her sister’s performance: 
Before long, it was a full-on Davies/Gallagher situation:
(Atha’s still smiling, don’t worry.) The crowd loves a bit of drama:
Atha had to finish the show alone, but as you can see, she was totally game:
And there you have it!
Boyerville North Carolina 