Nick's Last IEP Meeting !!!!

Hi all,

Yesterday, April 12, 2011, was Nick's LAST IEP (Individual Education Plan) Meeting!

For those of you who don't know what an IEP meeting is, here is a brief explanation from http://www.nichcy.org/ (National Information Center for Children and Youth With Disabilities):

"When a child receives special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), he or she must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This is a written document listing, among other things, the special educational services that the child will receive. The IEP is developed by a team that includes the child’s parents and school staff.


The IEP is an extremely important document in the educational lives of students with disabilities receiving special education under IDEA. The resources we’ve listed below will help you learn more about IEPs—what the law requires, what information a typical IEP contains, how IEPs are developed, and so on."

So, by law, infants and toddlers with disabilities receive early intervention services and the family and professionals have IFSP meetings every three months. Nick had these services and we had his IFSP meetings every three months. Then, when Nick was turning three, and starting preschool, he qualified for special education services under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).

We had Nick's first IEP meeting when he was 2 1/2 and his last was yesterday at the age of 17. He could receive special education services until the age of 22 but he is graduating from high school next month and starting college in the fall. I'll be doing research on what services Nick will qualify for in college and from which agency he receives services from over the next year and I'll be blogging about all of that. Basically, I'll share our journey as we go. As this is going to be all new to us, we can go on the journey together and I'll share anything I learn in case anyone else can benefit from the information! I just want to get through graduation next month and then my focus will be college!

Back to Nick's last IEP yesterday, we basically just met to go over his final summary of performance his teacher wrote up so we can share it with the university. It outlines what services Nick has needed to be successful in school so far and what he may need in college. Every college has a disability services office, which they are all named something different, and that's who I'll be contacting next month.
The meeting yesterday was brief and relaxed, very unlike many of the previous IEP meetings we had over the years.

I was reliving many moments in my head of all of the previous IEP meetings we had. I was remembering how several people doubted (out loud!) Nick would graduate high school in regular education classes and when we talked about college, people looked at us like we were in major denial! I always believed Nick would show them what he could do and that is just what happened. We were called "overly hopeful" parents by one school professional and Nick was labeled "non-restorable" by our insurance company as an infant. It makes me sick to think what would have happened if we or he believed that. Yeah, I guess they were wrong! We had hope and no one should ever take away a family's (or individual's) hope. We felt that we'd do everything we could and if their predictions were right, we'd love Nick and know we did everything we could. It didn't take long though before we knew how smart he was and they thought we were just crazy parents! Then later, it was Nick's (and our) goals that were crazy. I felt like the "crazy pain-in-the-ass" mother every time I walked into the school! ( I thought that's what THEY thought:)!) I can honestly say, I wouldn't change anything when I look at how Nick showed us all what he CAN do! Yeah Nick!

Grade school was up and down, jr, high was tough for Nick socially, and each year of high school got better and better for Nick in every way. I'd say he is now the happiest he's been in school. We've developed a good working relationship with the school over the years, even though we've had MANY disagreements, meetings to resolve issues, we've been respectful of each other and now here we are! So many people doubted Nick and us. Nick did it, all As and Bs, and he's graduating! I just had a real sense of peace I've never had before or after any other meeting.

I know we have a lot of work to do to help Nick figure things out for college, getting a van with a lift, services, etc., but I feel we can do it and I know he can do it! It can and will be done. We will likely have some ups and downs along the way, but we can do it as a team. As long as Nick wants us to, we'll be here to help him succeed (Isabella too!) and do whatever it takes. Team Hyndman!!

Blessings:)
Amy