Lots and Lots of ?????

[andrewsmom]

Hi guys!! ;D I have lots of questions for all of you. Andrew will not be 3 until March but I have been asked to write up some goals for him and have also been asked to think about what I would like on his IEP.

The director of EI in our area came to see me yesterday and asked me where I see Andrew in another year and what my hopes were for him. You know what??? I couldn't even think of what I imagine for him in a year. Now ask me what I imagine for him when he's 5 or 6 and oh boy...I could give you a huge list. I just haven't really thought about what I expect from preschool, isn't that terrible? How could I have fast forwarded on him like this? Uggggg...

So...Here is what I have come up with so far. If any of you can help expand this for me, please let me know....I need all the help and wisdom I can get.

OK...here are the "goals I have for Andrew so far.....

In the coming year I would like Andrew to be able to....
1. Socialize with children his own age.
2. Communicate and be able to initiate interaction with his peers
3. Recognize the letters of the alphabet
4. Be able to count to 10
5. Be able to sort objects by shape and color
6. Speak in sentences

What do you all think? Too much...too little?

Also, I was told to try to leave things in his IEP "open ended" so it is easier to go back and change. For example...I will be driving Andrew to and from preschool but I guess they will also offer transportation. So instead of saying I do not want transportation for him, I should say "transportation is not needed at this time but will be needed in the near future". That way it's covered and easier to change if we decide he should be on the bus. Do you all do this with certain things on your child's IEP? I just kind of feel like I'm going to have to play a big game ......kwim? I just hate this feeling.

Thanks for any input....I really appreciate it.

-Trisha

[meghans_mom]

i think those are good goals...like i said in my post in the other thread...try to think in small steps, not giant ones. break down the tasks into parts if possible...
I always hate that question -- where would you like your child to be in a year from now...i can never answer that one, even though i know it's coming every single time....

oh - and if you are driving your child find out if you get reimbursed...they usually don't tell you this, but alot of districts/counties offer this (even when MM went into state ed, the county still reimbursed me, and believe me, it ADDS up, even if it's a short distance!) but they may or may not offer reimbursement. it doesn't hurt to ask though!

for example - meghans IEP for the coming year starts
Annual Goal:
MM will increase cognitive skills
- "" sequence cards with 80% accuracy
-""label objects as same/different with 80 % accuracy
"" will develop an understanding of the number concepts from 1-10 with 80% accuracy
then we have other goals listed that build on top of these

ANNUAL GOAL:
Meghan will increase fine motor skills
-""will string 1" beads onto a shoestring
-"" will cut with scissors on line patterns
-""will trace letters
goes on from there

ANNUAL GOAL
Meghan will increase self-help skills
etc.

Our other annual goal headings are
Socialization skills
speech skills
then gross motor has all its own categories with sub-categories:
categories are:
equilibrium & righting reactions
higher level gross motor skill
independent motor planning skills
improving joint stability by increasing muscle strength
improved endurance for motor skills

then we have in an OT section
visual skills
attending skills
bosy awareness
fine motor/upper extremity ability for grasp/release patterns,
drawing and prewriting, cutting and self-help

now I don't make these goals up -- the school does but we work together, they have sort of a format and they build on what the child's weaknesses are...so if a child is lacking more in fine motor there are more of those goals vs. if they are stronger in gross motor or speech, etc...and of course these are MM's kindy goals so they are more advanced than Andrews will be right now...I was just trying to give you ideas of what to look at...fine motor, gross motor, etc.

can andrew grasp a crayon or pencil properly? if not, have goals to help increase upper body strength and grasp.
add things about copying a horizontal & vertical line, maybe even a cross or X, but that may or may not be advanced?
can he feed himself independently?
is he able to drink with a cup and a straw?
can he wipe his own mouth at lunch?
is he able to take off his socks and shoes?
can he undo zippers?
can he go up and down curbs or stairs?
is he able to throw a ball?
do you want him to start riding a trike (i think he is young for this? but heck I can't remember 2 years back, LOL)
turn taking, reciprocal play,
attending to a book or story for x number of minutes.
label pictures, shapes, colors, alphabet
oh and a good one is recognize his own name...he's about the right age
you can break that one into recognize his first and last name, or his name and his parents/siblings or peers, etc
do simple puzzles -- for an example of having goals open ended we would say...MM will be able to do a 4 piece puzzle with 80% accuracy by 1/07 and an 8 piece puzzle with 80% accuracy by 6/07 -- things like that, so you don't have to go back and change those things in the IEP halfway thru.
so if you think it's too much to have count 1-10 all at once, break it down into 4 month increments.
Will be able to recognize the number sequence 1-4 by 11/06 1-7 by 2/07 and 1-10 by 6/07
things like that...you can make your own months and fill in the things you want him to learn.
i'm trying to think of other things...ask if potty training awareness is incorporated into the IEP, and whether or not you want it included.
Is parent training included, and offered? and if it is and you want to take advantage of it, add that too....
you can also add things like "follow 2 step/3 step directions"
follow classroom routines like hang up back pack in appropriate area, hang up own coat, bring communication book to teachers desk, if appropriate...

sorry if this is too much information or not what you were looking for...i just happened to have MM's IEP right here, so i'l shut up now
good luck and hope this helped some
laurie

[momofrussell]

Well.. don't know really what more to say after Laurie's WONDERFUL post!!! ;D Russell STILL doesn't have goals that most 3 yr olds w/DS have so I am not good on specific goals. But you know where your son is and where you want him to be... so that's a good start! And Laurie suggested some great things!

What I find that helps.. no matter what age.. is to start writing down what your child can do at home.. specific signs, independent things, things you are working on, things you WANT to work on ,ect... this helps with the perspective piece to the IEP... it really helped us. And it helped in staying part of the team and part of the goal making.

There might be things you want Andrew to do... even if it's a year away... take speaking in sentences for example...if he is ready... great! But if he has a ways to go... like Laurie said... have them break it down so he CAN get to that goal. If you want Andrew to do something and they say "Andrew isn't ready for that"... then say "How can WE get Andrew to that point?". And if they have a vague goal... or a goal you need clarifying? Ask... and you can ask "how will you do that goal?" or "How will that goal be acheived?"...it's ok to be nice but hold them accountable.

It IS a game... but it doesn't have to be hard or nervewracking. I've had wonderful IEP'S knowing somewhere.. it IS a game. You learn to compromise sometimes too

The open ended stuff is a good idea for somethings like the busing like you said. And you just learn how your district is and feel them out. Some districts, like I have had decent ones, I have had no problem saying NO and saying YES later... but just be honest up front with them with the busing and anything else you need.

They changed the IEP stuff in the IDEA 2004 stuff so if you have to ammend something.. it's not like an act of congress anymore... so it's not that bad now to change things.... And nothing is ever etched in stone.. remember that...IEP's can be changed whenever they need to be... even if hard and a game... it can be changed

Oh.. and about those silly questions like "what do you want for your child and his/her future" and "where do you see your child in a year?"... those questions give me hives!!! LOL... For the chatt girl I am.... I become a deer in headlights... UM UM.. I DON'T KNOW!!! LOL... HAPPY? Those questions are goofy.. but they have to ask them... and so I reserve the right to say "I don't know" when put on the spot! LOL

Good luck Trisha!!!! ;D

A.

[MatureMomG]

1. Socialize with children his own age.
2. Communicate and be able to initiate interaction with his peers
3. Recognize the letters of the alphabet
4. Be able to count to 10
5. Be able to sort objects by shape and color
6. Speak in sentences

All kids are different- we know this. My dd will be 3 in a few weeks.
I would say these goals would be too much for her.
She can and does socialize with people of all ages.
She will initiate interaction with others (we homeschool, so she's not in a setting with age-mates only, most of the time)
I don't think she can recognize all the letters fo the alpahbet, but she can read (see post).
She is not yet verbal (except for 1-2 words), so counting is out.
Sorting we're working on.
She started speaking in sentences using sign languge at 2. So if you count that, speaking in sentences, yes. Otherwise no. MANY kids with DS don't speak at 3. (Unless I'm wrong in what I have read.)

You might also want to add some specific speech goals and some specific gross motor and/or fine motor skills.

Best of luck to you.
Yours in Christ,
Kathy

[andrewsmom]

Oh my gosh....I have so much to think about. I will post back when I get this down a bit more. Some other threads on here have helped also.

Thanks to all of you for your replies. You have given me great advice. I think I need to go over this more. Writing down what he can do now is a great idea, and a great place to start.

Ok Laurie....so you'll come do his IEP for me right??? LOL!!!

-Trisha
(who is losing sleep over this as we speak...lol).

[meghans_mom]

Trisha - dont panic!! and don't lose sleep!! it
s really not as much work as you think, and if you have a good team behind you
they will help you alot with goals, etc. I've never actually done an IEP just sort of rounded meghans out...
if you want, i can find Meghan's 3 yr old IEP and can give you more ideas, or fax you a copy
if you want. or privately email me ([e-mail]) and I can give you my #.
take a deep breath ;-)
laurie

[CC]

Awww Trisha, HUGS to you girl. For us when Chris was at that age our first IEP was really rather easy. We all met the Teach and the Therapist after meeting Chris presented what they thought would be good goals and objectives to start out with and Colin and I added to it if we needed to. We also had decided that after the first few months and they all got to know Chris better we would revisit the goals and such to make sure we were all in agreement with it still.

Always remember NOTHING is written in stone, anything can be changed at any time.

And K, don't laugh BUT when I read you said "asked me where I see Andrew in another year and what my hopes were for him. " LOL well when they would ask me that when Chris was 3, 4 and 5 my very first answer that popped out of my mouth was "OUT OF DIAPERS and fully trained" LOL of course I would go on about other stuff BUT the OUT of Diapers was my first to pop out ;D

As for the transportation, you don't have to worry girl cause its the law it has to be provided any time you need it. If for now you want to provide it they can never refuse you it down the road.

You will do fine girl you will ;D

CC ~

[marisa]

Great thread! All these goals and ideas have been very helpful to me as well. We have been thinking of the whole transition thing as Laura will be 3 in May. Seems so far away, but I know it will come fast!

Marisa