IEP Meeting

Todd and I had Jake's IEP meeting on Friday and were talking on the way there about how far Jake has come in the past year. (For those of you who don't know, an IEP is an Individualized Education Plan for kids that need accommodations and modifications at school. Jake was put on one after his stroke.) Last year about this time, Jake had just started going to school full days. His walking had really regressed after out vacation and he was having a very hard time getting around at school. I remember how hard it was seeing him struggle, he had to go back to using the bike at school just to get around and they would even bring it out to the car in the morning to help him get inside.

A year ago, he still fatigued really easily and had both OT and PT a few times a week. I so clearly remember his IEP meeting last April. There were about 12 in attendance since we were talking about his transition from elementary school to middle school. We had a lot of concern about how he would handle a new much larger school, several different teachers and everything else that comes with middle school. It's customary for different people who have worked with Jake give a report on his status, and I remember getting emotional during several of them. It was so hard to hear all the areas he had made improvements but still had so far to go.

Fast forward to this year's IEP meeting...it was the first one where I haven't cried which made me pretty happy. :-) I don't know how much of it was I'm getting more used to these meetings vs. he showed tremendous growth this year. We heard a lot of good things and the list of modifications and accommodations is getting shorter. One big thing we took great pride in was hearing how much he is participating in class with thoughtful and constructive comments, and that he is doing really well. Not "doing well considering he's had a stroke," but just really well. There have been a few bumps this year, but overall, it's been a good transition to middle school. The thing we have to remember is a lot of kids struggle with organization or taking initiative for example. So many of the things we worry about are just normal 6th grade boy stuff, but Jake is under a microscope so things seem like a bigger deal. He still has goals he is working towards, will continue with accommodations like extended time on tests and leaving class a few minutes early to avoid crowded halls. He also has the choice of taking a break during his homeroom when he's tired. But he's getting around the school on his own, keeping up with his classmates academically and overall succeeding. His new leg brace has really helped his walking and stability and he is getting more and more use of his left hand/arm. We are happy he is still making progress and will continue doing whatever we can to support his recovery.