What's an IEP I hear? In three complicated education jargon words, Individualized Education Program. It's a legal promise to meet the student where they are and to help scaffold them to the best of their academic ability and potential. Again I pay homage to IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act) and it's founding Father ADA (Americans with Disability Act). These laws are why I am still in the US.
I have Jake's IEP tomorrow. We have our annual team meeting and it always creeps up on me. The "Team" consists of his regular ed teachers, his collaborative teachers, his special ed teacher, his special ed facilitator, Doctor Seuss, Thing One and Thing Two and the cast of Growing pains (circa ages ago).
In terms of IEP's, I've had had uneventful ones, combative ones, pissy ones and on occasion sobbing on the floor ones. I can guarantee tomorrow's will be neither uneventful and yes, I'm fairly sure I will be crying by noon. If you've been following along Jake is having a challenging academic year. Tomorrow I will have to sign off on taking the two steps back after the three steps forward. Regular education still eludes my darling boy. He's bright enough, IQ in the 120's, crafty, witty and flat out silly and funny. Hell knows, he tried; he worked his butt off trying to prove he could be the best student, peer, son, brother and preteen smelly yoke (showers are again optional). Still, Bipolar Bear is yawning in it's cave, refusing to bed down and Jake needs some containing and to be held, emotionally and mentally. So back to self contained we go for most (not all) of his academics. I am so proud of my boy, he did the best he could. Now it's time for him to be the best he can.
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