The great IEP paper trail

At least once every year, Bryan and I have an IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting, or an ARD (Admission, Review and Dismissal process) meeting, with Brendan's teachers, therapists and school administrators to discuss Brendan's goals and plan of attack for the school year.  I remember the very first meeting and how I thought I was going to be sick to my stomach.  Brendan wasn't even three yet and we were taking the first steps in transitioning him from Early Intervention to a school based program.  Was he ready, was I ready?  It was the first step in a very long road, and let me tell you, it never gets any easier.

Our first meeting at his school in Texas had me in tears in the first 5 minutes and I thought that Bryan was going to put his fist through the table.  The way that the state of Texas handles an IEP meeting is maddening.  We had sit through and listen as they had numbers assigned to Brendan's abilities.  Hearing your 3 year old son described by numbers alone just about made me pick him up and leave that place and never look back.  A few tissues later, we had made it through the meeting and Bryan and I felt that we were on the right path, Brendan had a wonderful teacher who was going to be with him day in and day out and we were ready to get it going!

This year was no different, although we waived the right to have to hear all of the "numbers" so I didn't have to bust out the tissues quite so soon!

At the end of the meeting we had our ARD plan for the year, new goals and a teacher who is no nonsense!  Trust me, this woman is AMAZING and she expects a lot out of Brendan, and so do we.  It's time to step it up!

Here is his plan...

It is 44 pages long...WOW!  Time to add it the binder of all his other IEP paperwork..

While these IEP, or ARD, meetings are long, complicated and difficult to prepare for as a parent, we are the best advocate that Brendan has.  These meetings are great time to get Brendan's team all on the same page because we all want the same thing.  We want Brendan to succeed, we want him to have the best tools to become the best person he can be.