I got the evaluation reports yesterday & I am glad that that speech therapist was such a dud - she recommended Stevie for not one but
two hours of speech therapy per week
Ok. I'll take that - she'll be talking like a 5-y-o by school's end - it is her strongest arena. The ST's report was hand-scribbled and barely legible, whereas all the other reports were neatly typed with section headers, statement of referral, and conclusions as well as charts to show what they tested & how she did. Sure, they were wrong occationally about her skill level (psych eval actually has down that she doesn't do more than scribble with a crayon, when she does up-down and side-to-side lines as well as circles (not around & stop, but circle, circle). I don't care. The OT who works with her knows it, and that won't be changing. We are lucky in that Stevie is already used to the center where she will have pre-school, is bestest buddies with the therapists who will be handling her therapies - they have been fighting to get her - "you've had her for three years already, it's my turn" Gives a mom a warm, comfortable feeling KWIM, to know that they love my Stevie & so will take good care of her while she's away.
How am I going to handle
that? I've never had to watch my kid go away on a bus before this, but I know that this is best for her at this time in her life. I just know that my other kids are going to be patting me on the shoulder "It's okay, Mommy, she'll be with Sabra and Jennifer and Nicole! And she'll be home before you know it."
What I'm sure of: I know where she'll be going, so no trouble there. I know that the goals can be re-written if she accomplishes them too soon (goals too low, based on eval reports). I am quite certain, since she tested "low average" on the cognitive part, that she will be allowed to be in a gen ed classroom for one of her days, I may even have to fight to get her to be in a sp ed classroom for the other (yes, I am only allowing her 2 days of preschool at age 3 - unstable mom here
).
I know that most of Stevie's therapists will not show because they have a CIRF
inspection that day, and the meeting will be elsewhere. They have already written out recommended goals, except for the speech therapist. The speech therapist at the center has not yet worked with Stevie since the one we have now is from another center & meets us in my mother's home.
Some questions:
Since this is likely to be a friendly atmosphere, should I bring cookies & coffee (10 am meeting), or not bother? Should I be looking forward toward future meetings & "coddle" these people, or should I look at this like we are all in this together - teamwork? If it's a team, why don't we take turns on bringing the goodies? *sigh* It all just feels like bribery to me.
Should I bring Stevie? There's no better way to illustrate the real person that she is, and with that many people in the room she is not likely to cause any trouble - she'll be too busy "entertaining" She may be too much of a distraction.
Should I write an introduction about Stevie - if I don't bring her?
How many people will be there?
Should I expect that horrible speech therapist to show up? Ugh!!! I am soooooooo glad that Stevie will not have to endure that woman for ST! And I feel sorry for poor Collin (Connie's boy) - I fear that his speech will be delayed because of her ineptitude. That woman read Stevie the most boring story that was mostly dialog among 4 people, and asked her questions like "What did Hank ask for?" and "What did Mommy say?" Honestly! Stevie wasn't even interested in the pictures - not like at home at all - the child LOVES books & will answer all sorts of questions about them, even sometimes telling me the title as she hands them to me.
We are likely to have to be writing speech goals at the meeting & if
that woman is the main person making them up, then Stevie will have already have met all the goals she'd write. What is the best way to approach this? Again, should I bring Stevie? And a couple of books? If she's there long enough, she'll automatically sing "Head & Shoulders" or "Row, row, row" or any one of 6 or so songs she sings spontaneously. OTOH, I don't want them cutting the recommended ST hours... Maybe I should trust the new SLP to figure out that the goals are not appropriate & recommend some new ones. What do you think?
That's all for now. I'm trying hard not to be nervous, because I just know that Stevie will be fine at Keys For Kids preschool with therapy pull-outs right there at the center.
Ok. I'll take that - she'll be talking like a 5-y-o by school's end - it is her strongest arena. The ST's report was hand-scribbled and barely legible, whereas all the other reports were neatly typed with section headers, statement of referral, and conclusions as well as charts to show what they tested & how she did. Sure, they were wrong occationally about her skill level (psych eval actually has down that she doesn't do more than scribble with a crayon, when she does up-down and side-to-side lines as well as circles (not around & stop, but circle, circle). I don't care. The OT who works with her knows it, and that won't be changing. We are lucky in that Stevie is already used to the center where she will have pre-school, is bestest buddies with the therapists who will be handling her therapies - they have been fighting to get her - "you've had her for three years already, it's my turn" Gives a mom a warm, comfortable feeling KWIM, to know that they love my Stevie & so will take good care of her while she's away. 
). 
inspection that day, and the meeting will be elsewhere. They have already written out recommended goals, except for the speech therapist. The speech therapist at the center has not yet worked with Stevie since the one we have now is from another center & meets us in my mother's home. 
&&Mommy to Griffin (96), Gray (97) Collin (00) enhanced and Lauren (02) the little princess.
