IEP and Longer School Days

Busy, busy week! Somehow it seems like our appointments keep getting all lumped together which leads to some crazy schedules. One of the big happenings this week was Jake's IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting.

With Jake's return to school post-aneurysm, he has needed some extra support in the classroom. It was recommended by several specialists at the hospital that he be evaluated for an IEP in order to get the services he needs. Basically, an IEP outlines the delivery of special education support and services for a student with a disability. Accepting the label of "disabled" for a kid who five months ago was a "normal" kid has not been easy for us, it's all still very new. However, we have come to accept that while Jake is recovering, he needs accommodations/extra help at school and this is the best way to go about it.

Having never been involved with this aspect of the school, it's been a bit overwhelming trying to get up to speed on everything. There was a lot of testing that had to be done on the part of the school's special ed team (OT, PT, school Psychologist, Speech and Special Ed teacher) to determine a starting point so goals could be set and measured. Logically we know he's already made amazing strides during the past four and a half months but still has a long way to go to get back to where he was before the aneurysm. But it can be hard to hear the results of some of the reports that talk about his current deficits and it brings up a lot of emotion when you see things in black and white. What makes Jake's situation a bit different is the fact he is constantly changing as he recovers (which is a good thing!) and it makes determining his ongoing needs a challenge. They've already seen progress in him during the two months he's been back at school and we all know he will look like a completely different kid by the end of the school year. Todd and I left the meeting completely drained but thankful we have so many people in Jake's corner working to help him recover.

One of the things we've realized the past few weeks and was reinforced in the meeting was how important socialization is for Jake. He's still a 10 year old boy, misses doing things with his friends and needs some normal interaction for his emotional/mental health. Even though it had been a long week, he stayed at school on Friday for recess, lunch and his fall party. It was the longest he'd been at school and while he was tired due to all the activity, he had a really good time. After fall break, he'll start going to school for four hours every day, will be there for lunch, recess and more small group work in the classroom. We all think it will be a really good change for him and he is really excited. It will also pose some new challenges with mobility in the lunch room and on the playground, but the only way he can figure out how to deal with them is to face them head on.