Wrapped up another ARD this morning, love preplanning for ARDS so that they take maybe an hour or so, so pleased that they are not longer 2-3 hour meetings. I am pleased with expanding some of his academic goals but more pleased with the progress and continued efforts in the CBVI vocation training program. Tyler can be very challenging and I am blessed to have good staff that can connect with him. (just because someone is trained doesn’t mean they connect with everyone who crosses their path and I get that). I will be completing the Parent Input and the ABAS-3 for the last time – this will be the last full evaluation he will have through the district.
He will be taking his last STAAR Alts (thank goodness as we all know how I feel about the child slave labor a/k/a state testing) this year. He doesn’t stress over them and neither do I, because I know Tyler and every student are way more than that “standard” test – plus Tyler doesn’t know that he should be stressed LOL. He does perform well on these and always has, but I am glad to know it’s the last, simply because I despise them!
I like hearing so many positive things about Tyler (school Tyler is not always the same as home Tyler LOL)
The end of the horizon is near with school (Tyler will be 17 in December) and like many parents at this stage it’s a bittersweet time – glad to see the educational system getting closer to being behind us and prayers that they don’t graduate to the couch, but will find structure in having a meaningful adult life, whatever that may be for that individual (it’s different for everyone). For many developmentally delayed children, the real work is beginning because at these later biological ages in life the developmental age is just getting to a stage where so much growth in various areas can be made.
I told them that my previous goal was for Tyler to attend school until age 22, but I will make that final decision at next year’s ARD not today.
I also opted out of the need for ESY – simply because ESY is determined for “regression” purposes but yet they do it in June (right after school is out) and then there is about a 6 week gap before school starts again – since no one can give me a logical explanation to this I told them I didn’t see it to be necessary. If regression is determined by the holidays and then the summer gap why is ESY in June instead of July. They all doubted that ESY would be in July. I reminded them there was a time it was June and July but it would be more beneficial to the students if it as July. I told them if ESY was gonna be in July we can come back to the table on this.
Tyler has been making major progress in the CBVI classes (job training classes) and this is what I really want for Tyler.
Autism Plus More 