-
First day of kindergarten
-
Faculty Learning Community focused on Universal Design for Learning
This is a significant moment not only in my career as an educator, but also as a parent with a child just beginning elementary school. -
Parent teacher conference
First hard conversation about our son's social behavioral challenges with his kindergarten teacher. -
First Student Success Team (SST) meeting
Typically SST meetings include the parents, teacher, social worker, and principal. In our first meeting we all discussed both the positive aspects of our son and the challenges that were being experienced. In our first meeting we primarily focused on his violent behaviors and classroom safety concerns. These meetings were critical in getting the IEP for our child who is not below grade level. -
Therapy started with Kaiser
Begin offering several CBT strategies for our son to try to calm his body. -
Constant trouble (mid-October- December)
-
SST meeting
-
New Teacher
Due to a planned sabbatical the class got a new teacher for the spring semester and with this change we experienced a big reduction in his violent outbursts. However, our son still struggled with participating in planned lessons. -
SST meeting
-
TOTS program June-July (10 week program)
A very useful "group therapy" program that evaluated "temperaments" and offered strategies for working with children to support improved social behaviors. -
Traveling time! Summer vacation
Over the summer very few physical outbursts were experienced. -
First day of 1st grade
Luckily we visited his new classroom the Friday before classes started. Unfortunately, he got the stomach flu over the weekend and missed the first day of class. Rough start! -
Smooth-ish transition! August-October 2017
For the first few weeks of school there were very little to no signs of anxiety or participation challenges. -
1st SST meeting in 1st grade
-
Non-compliance becomes an issue
Shortly after the time change in October there was a marked change in participation and willingness to comply with directions. -
Behavioral Action Team (BAT)
Class observation from a behavioral therapist who is not told why they've been asked to observe. Therapist's take notes and offer insight to what they notice. However, on the day of visit to our son's class he had a very big outburst that resulted in a turned over bookshelf. BAT knew exactly why they were there. -
SST meeting
-
Class disruptions become overwhelming
On one fateful day the teacher and principal call me to pick up my son because his behavior has become unsafe and the schools resources were taxed. I arrive to find my son sitting in the office calm but obviously sad. He and I move into the cafeteria until the end of the school day. I am met by his teacher who brings me a pen and paper and simply says, "write the letter." I proceed to write a letter asking for an evaluation. I don't actually know what I am requesting. -
Period: to
Letter to Accepted IEP
-
The Letter
The letter I had wrote began the IEP process. Because I requested an IEP the BAT process was halted and we began the formal process of requesting services. -
CALM program through Kaiser
On the recommendation of our son's therapist we began the CALM program through Kaiser that helped children with anxiety. However, after only 2 sessions the therapists voiced concern with our son's ability to focus and follow instructions and thus recommended he be evaluated for ADHD. -
ADHD (combo) and Anxiety Disorder officially diagnosed
-
1st school psychologist observation using Behavior Observation of Students in Schools (BOSS)
-
1st grade teacher interview (3/1-3/2)
-
2nd School Psch Observation (BOSS)
-
3rd School Psych Observation (BOSS)
-
SST meeting
-
Interview with School Psychologist
-
Student Interview
-
Therapist (Kaiser) Interview
-
IEP meeting
All present: school psych, resource teacher, school social worker, teacher, both parents, advocate, and principal -
Final IEP meeting
Between the initial IEP meeting and the second I wrote a requesting 4 revisions. It took me a few weeks to respond to the initial report and then once I submitted the request it took another couple of weeks for the school district to respond to us. Thus, the final meeting as 2 months after our initial meeting. -
First day of 2nd grade
-
SOE presentation
