IEP Woe's

The Little Man struggles in school, that's not anything new. He's smart as a whip but getting things out of his brain, on to paper, that proves to be right up there with rocket science.

TLM has an IEP that, evidently, isn't quite up to par this year. Or maybe it is, but reaching goals isn't of a high priority. Either way, the big picture has him suffering. Back in late September at TLM's annual IEP review he was at Level 3 with 77% accuracy on his Rigby benchmark for reading. His IEP goal for the year was set that he would be at Level 16 with 100% accuracy by the end of the school year. At conferences in November I was told that he wasn't progressing as fast as they would like but that as long as he reached Level 6 or 7 by Christmas, that they would be happy with that and that the goal should be attainable. Report cards came home on Wednesday of this past week and he is at a Level 3 with 81% accuracy.

In my opinion, and I'm not even going to claim it as biased in this instance, they have failed him. At what point did it become okay to not address the fact that he is not progressing in reading? Should I also mention the fact that he has maintained in math and has regressed in writing? Obviously by the time that late December rolled around someone had to have known that he was not heading in the right direction. (well okay, technically he is heading forward but not with anywhere near the speed that is required for him to succeed in first grade, let alone 2nd grade which is looming right around the corner). He is reading at an early Kindergarten level. Why isn't he being pulled out for remedial help? Why am I not being notified of the severity of his inability to progress?

A million questions are zooming around in my mind, all are going at speeds so fast I can't grasp on to them. I am in disbelief. I am angry. I am sad for my son. I am loosing trust in his 'team' - the very people who are supposed to be ensuring that "No Child is Left Behind" and that he receive the education that he is entitled to.

In February we all sat around a large table - myself, his teacher, his OT, the school psychiatrist, the school nurse, the principal. All of these people who are supposed to be doing right by him. The people who have direct contact with him all commented on how bright he is and how much he has going for him. Not one hinted at how very, very far behind he is.

On Wednesday I get to sit at the table with these people again. The people who I felt were looking out for his best interests and whom I now question. They will share with me the information they have collected over the past 1 1/2 months and what it says about TLM. They will share their thoughts and opinions on what the next move should be, as if they are playing a game and strategizing their attack. This isn't a game, it is my sons life. I worry that they are writing him off, at a mere 7 years old.

Who knows, maybe I will go to that meeting on Wednesday and be pleasantly surprised. Maybe they will see what I see - that he needs more one on one in the classroom, that he needs pull out for reading, that OT with a group of 5 other children is not serving him as best they could. Maybe they will look beyond the numbers and dollar signs and see the beautiful child full of hopes and dreams that I see every day.

Only time will tell...