Bear has a fall birthday, so we get to do her IEP in a couple of weeks. This is the third review of the current plan. She is in her third year of preschool. It works well.
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Our goal meetings take hours. We have four specialists and at least 25 pages to cover. I am very grateful we have a loving and helpful preschool teacher. Bear is treated by
- Vision teacher
- Orientation & Mobility
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech & Language
It’s hard to keep all her goals straight. She is going into Kindergarten next year. We have to keep that in mind as we gather our thoughts on what goals she will benefit from the most.
IEP planning tips for preschool developmentally delayed children:
- Begin writing down your ideas about it 4-6 weeks ahead of the usual meeting time. I email our preschool teacher
- Compare notes with your outpatient therapy providers if possible. You can sign a form that allows the school providers and private therapy to communicate as well.
- Visit your developmental pediatrician 1-2 weeks before and share his/her notes with the team.
- Choose which aspect of development you would like the preschool teacher to focus on for the year based on your child and your home life: Academic, Social or Motor. Remember that your child will get all of theses things just by attending developmental preschool, no matter which you choose. We’re going with academic this year and last year was social, year before was motor.
- Consider the future, aim high and leave room for reality. It’s great to want your child to achieve big things but often our kids are different animals at school than home. I tell my husband that we are just “penciling in” our goals until the end of the meeting.
I am excited for this year’s meeting. Bear has gone through some major changes from last year’s mid-year meeting.
What are your tips for preschool IEPs?
Astacia is a highly caffeinated mother of two. She is Seattle Special Needs Kids Examiner and a contributor in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms. She blogs atmamikaze.