Post by Emilysmom on May 15, 2004 11:55:30 GMT -5
Emily's IEP meeting was yesterday. I just wanted to share how it went.......I'm planning to take some action on some things I was unhappy with, and I'm also excited about some other things too.
First of all, I have suspected for a while that her OT services were NOT what she needed. In last year's IEP meeting, I had requested weekly progress notes and the therapist told me she could not be expected to remember to send them home each week. She added that if I would send a written request in Em's planner, she would send them each month for me to review.......and most importantly (the whole reason I requested them!) so I could work on the same things at home. It's totally ridiculous to think that one therapy session per week is enough to accomplish her goals. So, several times this year I have written to request a copy of her progness notes and have never received them!!! A couple days ago, I saw the therapist and personally asked her to send the progress notes home with Emily. I was really disappointed when I read them......some of the things they worked on were 48 piece puzzles (she has been able to do that for many years), stringing beads, color by number, matching games, dot to dot games, using a ruler, etc. What upsets me....although I realize that these activities will improve her fine motor skills....is that I stressed to the OT last year that I hoped she would focus a bit more on self help skills, in addition to the fine motor tasks. I expressed to her yesterday that I was not happy with the fact that Emily had only 17 OT sessions during this whole year.........since the OT missed sessions for other kids IEP's, doctor's appointments, etc. I once again requested weekly progress notes and she told me "I am NOT required to do that"! Then, she added that she could....if I would like.....only see Emily every OTHER week and she could spend her time on the opposite weeks writing progress notes to be sent home to me. GRRRRRRRR. I told her that would NOT be acceptible at all. She added that she would not be pulling Emily out of her classes for OT next year (and I like that idea). Instead, she plans to meet Emily at the pool on Fridays to work on various things, or will go to her classroom, or in the lunchroom, etc. As long as she honestly WORKS with her weekly, and I know what they are working on....I'm ok with that. I just fear that she will actually see her even less this way! Ok.....on to the stuff that went well!
~
Emily will be going into the 6th grade next year. A new thing for her school is that they will now have a self contained classroom for the 5th-8th graders. I have always been totally opposed to having Emily in a self contained classroom.......but next year, she will go into that classroom 1-2 times a day to work on some one-on-one stuff. There are some great benefits I can see from this plan! First of all, they will have a kitchen and she will be allowed to practice reading comprehension skills by cooking! There will be occasional field trips to grocery stores, etc and she will be able to go along. She will continue to get ST twice a week, PT twice a week, and swimming once a week. Otherwise, she will be included with her 6th grade peers. She will no longer go to the resource room for extra help with math....her resource teacher will come into her room.
We will now be making Emily responsible for writing down stuff about her day, rather than her teachers writing comments. I was pleased because I think that we (more than any other IEP) actually wrote down so so many practical things that we all want to work on next year. Some of these are: filling out personal data forms (like application forms), writing a friendly letter, improving her eye contact when speaking, calling me at work to practice speaking on the phone to strangers and asking for someone, cursive handwriting, more work with money and time as they relate to what she needs.....where she needs to be at a certain time, etc. I really think that, other than the OT issues, we are all on the same page and Em will have a good year next year.
So.......what to do with that OT?????
Susan
First of all, I have suspected for a while that her OT services were NOT what she needed. In last year's IEP meeting, I had requested weekly progress notes and the therapist told me she could not be expected to remember to send them home each week. She added that if I would send a written request in Em's planner, she would send them each month for me to review.......and most importantly (the whole reason I requested them!) so I could work on the same things at home. It's totally ridiculous to think that one therapy session per week is enough to accomplish her goals. So, several times this year I have written to request a copy of her progness notes and have never received them!!! A couple days ago, I saw the therapist and personally asked her to send the progress notes home with Emily. I was really disappointed when I read them......some of the things they worked on were 48 piece puzzles (she has been able to do that for many years), stringing beads, color by number, matching games, dot to dot games, using a ruler, etc. What upsets me....although I realize that these activities will improve her fine motor skills....is that I stressed to the OT last year that I hoped she would focus a bit more on self help skills, in addition to the fine motor tasks. I expressed to her yesterday that I was not happy with the fact that Emily had only 17 OT sessions during this whole year.........since the OT missed sessions for other kids IEP's, doctor's appointments, etc. I once again requested weekly progress notes and she told me "I am NOT required to do that"! Then, she added that she could....if I would like.....only see Emily every OTHER week and she could spend her time on the opposite weeks writing progress notes to be sent home to me. GRRRRRRRR. I told her that would NOT be acceptible at all. She added that she would not be pulling Emily out of her classes for OT next year (and I like that idea). Instead, she plans to meet Emily at the pool on Fridays to work on various things, or will go to her classroom, or in the lunchroom, etc. As long as she honestly WORKS with her weekly, and I know what they are working on....I'm ok with that. I just fear that she will actually see her even less this way! Ok.....on to the stuff that went well!
~
Emily will be going into the 6th grade next year. A new thing for her school is that they will now have a self contained classroom for the 5th-8th graders. I have always been totally opposed to having Emily in a self contained classroom.......but next year, she will go into that classroom 1-2 times a day to work on some one-on-one stuff. There are some great benefits I can see from this plan! First of all, they will have a kitchen and she will be allowed to practice reading comprehension skills by cooking! There will be occasional field trips to grocery stores, etc and she will be able to go along. She will continue to get ST twice a week, PT twice a week, and swimming once a week. Otherwise, she will be included with her 6th grade peers. She will no longer go to the resource room for extra help with math....her resource teacher will come into her room.
We will now be making Emily responsible for writing down stuff about her day, rather than her teachers writing comments. I was pleased because I think that we (more than any other IEP) actually wrote down so so many practical things that we all want to work on next year. Some of these are: filling out personal data forms (like application forms), writing a friendly letter, improving her eye contact when speaking, calling me at work to practice speaking on the phone to strangers and asking for someone, cursive handwriting, more work with money and time as they relate to what she needs.....where she needs to be at a certain time, etc. I really think that, other than the OT issues, we are all on the same page and Em will have a good year next year.
So.......what to do with that OT?????
Susan
&
Susan, Proud mom of Michael (32), Justin (25) Emily (22ds), and Jordan (20).
You know what I mean, RIGHT?? Like say you want Em to work on learning to tie her shoes, that would fall under OT goals.
After hearing how many OT sessions Em has missed from OT, you could consider having them make them up either during the summer, after school with a private, or next school year by adding on an extra OT session. 
