IEP: How-to's and Organizing a Binder

Well if having six children on IEPs (Individual Education Plans) doesn't make you go insane, it makes you get organized.  It was much easier to store it all in my brain when we only had 3 kiddos on IEPs. I want to share with you some tips I have embraced to make my life easier.

The first thing, and most important, is to have an IEP binder for each child. I use a 3-ring binder, size according to the amount of records, and personalize it with the child's name. This is where you will keep everything IEP related: IEP requests, assessment plans, assessment reports, meeting notices, progress on goals, behavior notices, and report cards.

Then I found it extremely helpful to have a Table of Contents which lists the dates of each IEP, notes, services, etc. at the front of the IEP binder. I am providing a copy for you to download FREE.

I also scan each IEP and components (assessment reports, etc.) into my computer and save on an external hard drive. Each child has a folder on my external hard drive. I save the documents first by year, then by name and date. This way I have easy access to the records if i am looking for a specific documents. I also have them available to e-mail or make copies as needed for their Alta worker or medical providers.

In case you are wondering if your child qualifies for an IEP, here are the 13 categories in which your child may qualify. These specific categories also must be adversely affecting their educational performance.  For instance, if your child has ADHD they might qualify under Other Health Impaired, but only if it is adversely affecting their educational performance.

If you would like to have your child assessed for special education services, you MUST put your request in writing and give it to the school. It has been my experience that it is best to also give specific examples of why you think your child needs to be assessed. The school district has 15 school days to respond to your request. They will provide you with an assessment plan which states the areas they would like to assess your child and are asking your permission. Please sign this form and return to the school district as soon as possible. 

The school district then has 60 school days to assess your child. During this time frame they will also schedule the IEP meeting. Most school districts are accommodating to your schedule, within reason. They will provide you a Meeting Notice, which you then sign stating whether or not you are able to attend.

Here is an example of the IEP Process from CAHELP (specific to California).

I also have a video IEP How-to's: A Parent's Perspective on our YouTube channel: DivergingLives. Feel free to check it out!

Our Homeschooling Journey

As most of you know, we have been homeschooling for the past 16 years, in some form or another.  We began our homeschooling journey when our oldest children, DJ and Adriana, were entering 5th and 3rd grade respectively. We chose to homeschool through a local charter school and it was a good fit for us. In 8th grade, Adriana decided she wanted to go to public school and we agreed. Our neighborhood was opening a brand new high school the following school year and our schedule was getting increasingly busier with the addition of our three boys. Adriana attended public high school and went on to graduate from there, while DJ graduated from the charter school. Both were the right fit for each of them.

DJ graduation 2010

Adriana graduation 2012

Since our younger boys all had special needs and required a lot of therapy, they were all enrolled in public school for preschool and their early elementary years. We went on to adopt again in 2008, this time a baby girl. In 2010-2011, we were having a lot of IEP meetings with the school district to communicate the needs of our boys. There just seemed to be a lack of understanding from the administrators and the particular teachers that year, as well as denial that any of what we were saying as parents could be true. The boys would come home from school so overstimulated that we would end up dealing with behaviors until bedtime. For one of our boys, we were finally able to get more supports by the end of the school year, but we were told those supports would be scaled back the following school year. We had enough and decided to homeschool the boys the following school year. We felt that it was important to let the boys finish out the current school year, as they only had a couple of weeks left.

In the Fall of 2011, we began a new journey of homeschooling. We decided to homeschool our boys independent of a charter school and filed an affidavit with the Board of Education. In our state (California) we were required to keep attendance. Of course I kept all of their school work too in case there was any question of if we were really “doing school”. We began by exploring themes and creating projects as we were learning. Lots of hands-on fun! You can check out our posts on the ladybug life cycle, the solar system, ocean diorama, fun with flubber, ocean diorama, killer whale costumes, and much more! We also did a lot of practicing our social skills, from learning how to order meals at a restaurant to exploring local museums. We concentrated on toileting skills as none of the boys were toilet trained yet. Yes, even in grades 1st, 2nd and 4th. We also found a great program called Autism Center for Excellence (ACE) for children who are on the autism spectrum. It was at Sacramento State University which was only 30 minutes away from our house and Alex began attending 3 days a week. Since James still had an open cleft palate despite 3 surgical repairs, he required intensive speech therapy. We had him attend the Maryjane Rees Language, Speech and Hearing Center at Sacramento State University for a semester. Unfortunately he was also diagnosed with selective mutism and anxiety, so he would not speak outside our home or to unfamiliar people. It's incredibly difficult to do speech therapy with a student who refuses to speak!

Early days of homeschooling.
Link to white board.

During that first year of homeschooling independently, we happened to move. Since our boys still required additional therapy, we sought help from the new school district. We went through the IEP process and were granted services under an ISP (Individual Service Plan), since we elected not to enroll the boys in school. We found this to be very helpful and I accompanied the boys to speech and OT at the local elementary school. That only lasted a year as we moved again.

Then came the educational experience of a lifetime...a cross country trip during the summer of 2013. We were on the road for 2 months and were able to visit locations such as Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, the arch in St. Louis, Niagara Falls, Statue of Liberty, Washington D.C., Myrtle Beach, Disney World in Florida, the Riverwalk and Alamo in San Antonio, TX, and the Grand Canyon. During the school year prior to this trip, we studied US History so the kids would have some background information. We even took part in a postcard swap where we sent 49 post cards from our state (California) and received post cards from a family who had been assigned to each of the other 49 states. As each post card was received we colored in the state it was from on a map of the United States. The kids looked forward to checking the mail everyday for a new postcard.

We continued homeschooling for the next 2 years as our family expanded again. This time with a girl and a boy! Social worker visits, doctor appointments, family visitation, and more therapy for the youngest 2 did not leave much room for homeschooling.

Rissa working with PT.
Link to balance blocks.

Then Joey received a diagnosis of autism and ABA (Applied Behavioral Therapy) sessions were added multiple times a week, in addition to speech, OT and feeding therapy.

Joey working with ABA therapist.

James began receiving services for speech and OT through our local school district (different school district). Alex and James attended a social group once a week (separately). Before Rissa turned 3 we had several meetings with our school district about her transitioning to preschool and we decided to also enroll the boys in public school. We worked with our new school district to assess all three boys and conduct IEP meetings. Alex was now in high school, James in junior high and John was in his last year of elementary school.

     

We decided to continue homeschooling Amada due to her anxiety, but with the support of a charter school. We soon found out that the grade level curriculum, especially for reading and writing, was too difficult. We requested that Amada be tested for an IEP. Right before Christmas break it was determined that she qualified for an IEP and would begin receiving speech and resource support. We began using curriculum more geared towards her level and needs. Because school was much more challenging now, it became increasingly difficult for Amada to focus and actually complete her school work. We debated having her attend public school the following year, but she was adamant that she did not want to. 

The boys were adjusting well to public school for the most part, with the exception of Johnathan's behaviors.  More IEP's and the addition of a mental health counselor who came to our home were necessary. Despite being turned down for Alta California Regional Center at least 3 times, we persisted and had Johnathan tested by a Neuropsychologist. This testing revealed that Johnathan had an intellectual disability, just like Alex and James, and was eventually deemed a client of the Regional Center.  

The following Fall, Rissa began attending Center Preschool, a full inclusion preschool. After several months it was apparent that her anxiety was worsening, so we decided to keep her home until after the Winter Break. Then when she returned, I attended with her to give her some security and share clues about her with the instructors. We also began seeking treatment from The Attach Place in the form of neurofeedback.  Her anxiety began improving!

In the Spring, when Joey turned 3 and also began attending Center Preschool. I was no longer able to attend with Rissa because of Joey's behaviors, but he became her security person. It was also decided that he needed to have an aide that would work him 1:1. This worked out nicely and I was able to dedicate more time to working 1:1 with Amada at home.  We decided to continue with the charter school another year. 

Fast forward through an entire school year which brings us to the present. With Rissa entering Kindergarten in a couple of months and Amada needing much more support than I can give her, we decided to enroll them both in our local elementary school. This will be the first time in over 15 years that I am not homeschooling in any capacity! And can I say that I am looking forward to it. I realized this summer that there is no need to scour curriculum, get my ordering done early in order to be on top of the planning, etc. and it is marvelous! I will however be attending a lot of IEP meetings throughout the year since all 6 children (currently living at home) require them.

Please let me know if you have any questions and I will gladly answer them.

Joey's Journey: Strabismus Eye Surgery

Joey suffered from a right sided head tilt from the time he came "home" at 2 months old. The medical term for head tilt is torticollis. We did exercises with him and eventually physical therapy. He didn't tolerate physical therapy very well because he did not want the therapist to hold him or touch him. Some sessions he would scream the entire time. This was prior to Joey receiving his autism diagnosis, but I was beginning to suspect it. 

Then his in-home Occupational Therapist recommended having his vision checked. We saw a Developmental Optometrist, but at the time it was extremely difficult to perform an exam on Joey. She did however suspect that Joey had strabismus. (I reported that when Joey was not upright, his left eye would roll upwards.) This would need to continue to be followed. We were eventually referred to a Pediatric Ophthalmologist. It was then that the diagnosis of strabismus was confirmed. Again, the exam was difficult. In fact, the doctor performed the exam with Joey in the backpack carrier that we used on a daily basis due to Joey's extreme sensory processing difficulties. 

                                  

When we returned to her office around the time of Joey's fourth birthday, he was much more cooperative with the exam. The Pediatric Ophthalmologist said that it was more apparent on exam now that he has strabismus. She gave us the options of waiting and continuing to follow up on an annual basis, or surgery to loosen the upper eye muscle to help balance the eye.

We opted to proceed with surgery. In the case it was altering his vision, we thought that correcting it sooner rather than later would be better. Also, if we could correct the torticollis before it became worse or caused permanent damage that would be an added benefit.

Joey did great through the surgical process! The hardest part was keeping him on "low activity" for a week following surgery. We made a YouTube video documenting the process. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Disneyland Tips & Tricks

Since we are nearing the end of our Disneyland Season Pass year, I thought I would share some tips with you. We generally travel as a large group, with multiple children who have special needs, so keep that in mind.  One thing I found to be helpful is to plan in advance. Think about the items you or your children use throughout any given day, then make a list. I am including the list I use for you to download if you'd like.

Going to an unfamiliar place is difficult enough, but when it's filled with crowds and new sights/sounds it can be overwhelming. If you are not familiar with Disneyland, I would recommend that you sit down with a map of the park prior to your arrival. We also had our younger children watch videos of Disneyland on Youtube so that it would not be completely unfamiliar. I created a social story for our son who has autism.  You can find that video here:

 

We recommend downloading the Disneyland app seen below onto your phone prior to your arrival also. It will give you park hours, showtimes, wait times for attractions at Disneyland and California Adventure, locations of characters/dining/shops/restrooms/guest services, as well as you can link your pass to get FASTPASS vouchers loaded directly on them.   

We are naturally early risers since our children wake up early every day. That is very beneficial when visiting Disneyland. Get to the park early and beat the crowds! We have found that visiting the park opposite of the one offering the "Early Morning Entrance" is a best bet also.  For the more popular rides, you will want to get your FASTPASS vouchers first thing to ensure that your ride time isn't at the end of the day. If you are traveling with a child who cannot ride and need to have 1 adult wait off the ride with them, you can ask for a rider switch which will allow the adult who was waiting off the ride to gain entrance through the FASTPASS entrance once the remainder of the party has exited the ride.

If you are traveling with a guest who has a disability, you can check in with guest services at City Hall or any green umbrella throughout the park to have a DAS (Disability Access Service) added to their pass. This will allow the disabled person and their party to obtain a return time for that attraction. This is helpful as you don't have to actually wait in the line while you are waiting. You can use the restroom, get a snack, or even enjoy another ride!

Feel free to comment with any questions and I will respond as soon as possible.

Parents of Children with Special Needs

A Look Inside

(adapted from the poem "Special Needs Moms" by April Vernon)

You may think us "special parents" have it pretty rough.

We have no choice. We just manage life when things get really tough.

We've made it through the days we thought we'd never make it through.

We've even impressed ourselves with all that we can do.

We've gained patience beyond measure, love we never dreamed of giving.

We worry about the future but know the "special" life is worth living.

We have bad days and hurt sometimes, but we hold our heads up high.

We feel joy and pride and thankfulness more often than we cry.

For our kids, we aren't just super-parents.  No, we do so much more.

We are cheerleaders, nurses, and therapists who don't walk out the door.

We handle rude remarks and unkind stares with dignity and grace.

Even though the pain they bring cannot be erased.

Therapies and treatment routes are a lot for us to digest.

We don't know what the future holds but we give our kids the best.

None of us can be replaced, so we don't get many breaks.

It wears us out, but to help our kids, we'll do whatever it takes.

We are selfless, not by choice, you see.  Our kids just have more needs.

We're not going to change the world, but want to plant some seeds.

We want our kids accepted.  That really is our aim.

When we look at them we just see kids.  We hope you'll do the same.

Moments to Remember

Moments to Remember was developed as a simple way to look back on our week as homeschoolers and find photos that encompass the memories we want to remember. 

The week may have been tough, there may have been more bumps than smiles, but in the end these are the moments that keep us going, the ones we need to remember.

New Puppy

Our family recently added a new puppy, Smiley, to the mix.  She is a black labrador retriever we adopted from a local lab rescue group.  We have been working diligently with her over the last month and a half.  She is very rarely having accidents in the house now (which mom really likes).  She loves to run in the backyard with the kids.  She can play fetch with a ball or frisbee.  She loves squeaky toys and playing tug of war.  She likes to play hide and go seek with the kids (except sometimes she gives them away).  She can sit, shake, lay down, and stay (for quite a while but she must be able to see you).  Here are some pictures of her having a great time with Alex, who incidentally has an autism spectrum disorder.  Alex absolutely adores her and begs to feed her everyday, which has now become his chore.  

Smiley running away with the bat.  Alex laughing as he chases her.

Smiley looking at Alex and waiting for him to throw the ball.

A little bonding time after playing.

This has been a link up with Homeschool Creations.

~Nicole~

Therapy Thursday: Finger Warm-Ups

Each week I will post about some type of therapy we use, who recommended it, and the reason we are using it.  Remember, I am not a licensed therapist and I am sharing our experiences. We would also love to hear your stories. Please share in the comments!

Finger Warm-Ups

Ever have those days where you just can't get your fingers to cooperate?  Well, for our boys that is an everyday occurrence.  Their autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy we have to thank.  They all see an occupational therapist (and not the same one either).  Some of the tasks they work on are: daily living skills, handwriting, finger/wrist strengthening, integrating right and left sides of their body, and body awareness.  Who knew fastening a zipper or button could take months years of practice? 

Here is a great way to get those fingers warmed up before any fine motor activity or just for the day.  The boys' occupational therapists often have them do this activity at the beginning of a session.  All you need is a container of exercise putty and some pennies.  We have a 2 oz. container of the green (medium firm) putty.

I give the boys the container of putty with the pennies already mixed in.  They have to pry the putty out of the container then roll it out on the table.

Notice how Alex is really pushing here (straight elbows & in a standing position).  As they roll the putty out, the pennies become visible and they have to use their fingers to pry the pennies out.

I remind the boys that we are trying to make a long, skinny snake.  Notice here how Alex is rolling the putty all the way to his fingertips, pressing firmly.

Finally the boys get to "hide" the pennies for the next person.

What kind of activities do you have your children do to get ready for their day?  What other uses for the exercise putty can you think of ?

~Nicole~

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you make a purchase through one of those links it will not change the cost of the item, however it will help support our homeschool.  Thank you!