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Try This Tuesday #42: Know Who To Call For (IEP) Help
Welcome to this week's Try This Tuesday. For details on how to participate, please check out the welcome post.
Good News and Bad News
I was pleased last Thursday to receive a draft copy of my son's IEP, a week ahead of the team meeting as I had requested. Yippee!!
Less pleasing was the fact that several things I fully expected to see in the draft were not there, despite conversations and emails about them with the case manager. After venting to a good friend that evening, I sat down to read the document again and began outlining my thoughts on the various issues in play.
In Need of Some Help
I realized that not only do I need to get my emotions in check before the big day, but that I also need some additional information to understand the ramifications of certain areas.
There are lots of great websites, books and other resources on the topic of IEPs and special education; here are a couple of previous posts with some of these links:
I decided to reach out to one of those resources, the Parent Center for our area of the U.S. In addition to leaving a message for the appropriate person at that organization, I also called and left a message on the ConsultLine run by the Bureau of Special Education here in Pennsylvania.
Between these two contacts, I should be able to finalize my game plan for Friday and hopefully see us move one step closer to a solid IEP for the next year.
If that doesn't work, a few rounds of the IEP Show Down game from Moms of Special Needs Children (an amazing resource on special education, by the way) should do the trick. 
Please join in and share the creative solutions YOU have found to your own challenges, or feel free to post your own challenge for input from others.
As the host of Try This Tuesday, Trish shares some of the solutions she has found to make life easier and invites you to do the same. You can also find her blogging at Another Piece of the Puzzle and Autism Interrupted.
Filed under Individual Educational Plans, Resources, Trish, Try This Tuesday by
Comments on Try This Tuesday #42: Know Who To Call For (IEP) Help »
MaddyM @ 12:21 am
Yes top of the list is 'get emotions under control,' more easily said than done.
We have a local chapter here called Parents Helping Parents who are fabulous as answering 'help!' questions within 24 hours of my own personal panic attack.
You phone in with your 'panic' and they're back with you on the phone one on one within 24 hours.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you , if only to keep the 'nerves' under control.
Best wishes
rickismom @ 3:49 am
Thanks for the link to Moms of special needs children…..
Danette @ 12:11 pm
Good luck w/ your upcoming IEP meeting. I agree, Moms of Special Needs children is a great resource!
I posted on a topic from a few weeks ago, teaching about money
Also, I missed TTT last week but if anyone has suggestions for dealing with aggression, I'm all ears.
Territory Mom @ 12:33 pm
This is so helpful. One time I was surprised with an IEP meeting. I should have stopped it, but I let it happen. Needless to say we no longer attend that school.
Trish @ 9:14 pm
It's a good team for the most part; it's that last little part that makes me worry. Thanks for all the encouraging words!
To-Do Tuesday - Week Thirteen — Another Piece of the Puzzle @ 1:38 pm
[...] Work has gotten a tiny bit less stressful, and my main concern this week is being prepared for the big IEP meeting on Friday afternoon (prayers for calmness and clarity [...]