Dear Noah: IEP meeting, hair cut, and more...

Well it's been a good week or more since I posted.

We went to the Saturn dealer on Monday to get my VUE checked and fixed. I had an O2 sensor that had gone out on it and needed to be replaced. You went with me and we spent the day together. I LOVE those days where we can take off and do things together. Here you are in the SKY at Saturn......you do look pretty good behind the wheel!




I had your IEP meeting on Tuesday and was left with mixed feelings as usual. They brought the BIG SHOTS in for this meeting which I was prepared for....not sure if it was meant to try to intimidate me or just for their benefit to make sure things stayed cool and calm.....or maybe both. I am left wondering if this is the very best choice I could make for you at this time. While I know there have been many benefits....I see some areas that are really lacking too...and of course any mention of HOMESCHOOLING the principal immediately dismissed not wanting to hear it. I gently reminded her that I was the one who would decide what was best for YOU......it did not matter what they might want or even myself....it is what will be best for you. SO lots to think about .....but we are going to see how you do the rest of this year. I am hopeful you will be just fine and of course they all think the only reason you had such a hard time that one week at school was solely due to you not feeling well. NOT because you might have oh let's say "autism" which the biggest characteristic is the improper social skills or lack thereof.....your biggest issue recently at school at least. Most everywhere else you are doing much better. In school this past week you did very well again too. SO who knows. (the meeting started late...no surprise to me......BUT the teachers DID stay till almost 5:30 to finish up.....so that was over 90 minutes!)

You spent Saturday night at your Aunt Melissa's house to be with cousin Audrey. I decided to cut your hair before you went because it was getting very long. I bought some clippers at K-Mart and decided I would be able to trim or cut your hair the way you like it now if needed. Your aunt who normally does it has cancer and is not always feeling up to it now and we cannot always make it down to where she can cut it......so this worked out well. Here is your hair now:




and you with your SONIC video.....




You had a good time at Aunt Melissa's house......but I think exhausted her......so it may be a long time before you can spend the night again!

We stopped by grandma C's. house on the way home from Melissa's house where you headed for the sofa and slept for 2 HOURS! SO grandma C. and I visited while you and Opie slept. Yes.....we took Opie along also. He slept in his big cat carrier cage thing while you napped on the sofa.

This past week has been a whirlwind of emotions and semi-drama and fighting still to get you things you need. What seems to be happening now with you in school is weird. On one hand the teachers are all noticing that you just seem to FIT IN SO well with everyone else......that I think they also along the way because of this.......FORGET you have TRUE DIAGNOSES and needs.......and I think they just look for other everyday normal-kid reasons and explanations for why you do what you do sometimes that is a bit "off" from the norm. I don't know how many times I had to remind them that YES you have made HUGE progress and are doing very well....but you will ALWAYS HAVE AUTISM.........you can improve and learn to COPE in our world and live in our world so well no one will easily be able to tell there is anything different with you.........HOWEVER.......that does not mean you still learn in a DIFFERENT way and PROCESS things differently and have huge EDUCATIONAL NEEDS because of that. They cannot always just expect to swoop you into the same mix along with everyone else because I am afraid you will get lost in that mix.

So anyway.........you got all A's on your report card again this quarter........except for 1.....a B+ in that....I think the Language Arts....and I am not really sure why you got the B+. This quarter in that area you are starting out with an A......I think it has a lot to do with UNDERSTANDING the abstract......INFERENCE questions that are going along with your reading.

The STATE testing is coming up.....and you are required to take it along with everyone else.......and some allowances have been made for you to use a scribe if needed for the long answered questions......and for you to do some things verbally........and for someone to explain some of the questions to you.......

MY parental attachment I made for the IEP meeting that I wanted to be ATTACHED to your amended IEP paperwork so it would become part of the OFFICIAL documentation......of course did not GET placed with the IEP paperwork and addressed as part of the official documentation. When I pressed the principal about this....she told me she had never heard of such a thing?! WOW....I was stunned. Parental attachments are pretty commonplace I thought...and a great tool for parents to use in regards to IEP and expressing YOUR concerns to the school and staff. ...because they are required by LAW then to reject or accept your requests and state WHY on official paperwork documentation......which is something you want to have!

ENOUGH of this......this all exhausts me. I love you so very much Noah.......

you are going to be just fine!

Love

Mommy
XOXOXO