Autism Therapy: The Back To School IEP
Wow! This week, its back to school for most of our kids. And it is at this time that most of us take a breath and consider: is my child’s IEP working for them? Is their autism therapy, teacher, classroom setting, etc. appropriate (yes, we know that word all too well, don’t we?) for our child’s academic and personal growth? If the answer is yes, we leave well enough alone. If the answer is no, it is time to take the bull by the horns (I’m a Southern girl, so pardon the play on words) and call an IEP meeting.
With our son Chase, we have been on both sides of the IEP battle. This time, we are in the “coast” mode. That is to say, we are quite pleased with his progress and we wait and see how he progresses with each year. Autism is such a funny thing. One year, there doesn’t seem to be much measurable progress. At least in our eyes. Then the next year, Chase takes off like a rocket! This year seems to be a take off year for him. And we are very grateful.
If you feel that your child isn’t making progress, time for that IEP. And honestly, unless there is a reason to, don’t go in with guns blazing. Teachers can be your greatest allies. Before you call your IEP, map out everything that you want for your child. Shoot for the moon. You have to ask. However, you must be reasonable. It is a negotiation. If you enter into the IEP meeting and demand and alienate, the school will point out that your child is eligible for a “Free and Appropriate Education”. Nothing more. Oh, have we heard that term more time than I care to recall. But, if you are willing to concede on a point here and there, so might the school. Also remember that your school district might not have the funding for the therapist that your child needs. But…that wonderful teacher that you have as your ally might improvise and help your child. GET IT IN WRITING THOUGH! YOUR IEP IS A LEGAL AND BINDING CONTRACT!
If your child is “steady as she goes”, then it is time to think about next year. What is working? What would you like to see more of? It is possible to increase the number of hours/times per week of therapies that your child receives. This is a GREAT time to think about what works! With our son Chase, social skills and pragmatic speech are his Achilles heels. We have been quite creative with Chase’s social skills therapy. He receives social skills therapy (technically) once a week, per his IEP. However, through his wonderful teachers, he has been receiving “group” social skills with other children in his autism cluster classroom every day. He’s a different kid. And that’s a good thing.
I wish we had pushed earlier for pragmatic speech therapy. Our son has a difficult time understanding the English language. I know that may sound strange to most people. He speaks well. His speech is wonderful. We had speech teachers (early on) tell us that he was doing quite well. That he didn’t need much help. Now we know better. His grasp of pragmatic speech is quite rudimentary. One of our greatest downfalls as parents. Not pushing hard enough in those early IEPs. We know better now.
The IEP is the road map of success (or failure) for our children in the coming year(s). It is up to us to up the ante for autism therapy and decide what is working. As parents and guardians, we have the power to shape the future for our children. Whether they are of special needs or not.
