Evaluations
A Diagnosis For My Boy
Four years ago I watched you from my son’s bedroom window as you went back and forth with your colleague in your car– attempting to convince her that my son had autism. You both had just evaluated him. I understood the urgency– I knew that you understood. I didn’t have a fancy job title and didn’t have an outwardly impact on our society. I didn’t possess any powers and my neighbors didn’t know my name. I didn’t have anything to give or anything to spend other than being the best…
Read MoreThe Preschool Plan is in Place
I can’t even put into words how great Cooper’s teacher is and how amazing his IEP meeting went. I fell in love instantly. She was the perfect combination of calm, fun, loving and educational. This is the FIRST time throughout this school evaluation positive that I have felt happy. And positive. Jamie and I met in his future classroom with his teacher, 2 speech therapists, 1 occupational therapist, the special education director and 1 classroom aid. First, we sat at a tiny table with tiny chairs. I loved it. I felt…
Read MoreThe IEP Meeting
I have been hiding out. And insanely busy. I can honestly say I sorta like when that happens because I don’t dwell on little things. Like dirty houses or unfinished projects. And then life slows down and I am standing in chaos. So typical. Cooper’s IEP meeting was last week. First, it was 2.5 hours long. In a tiny room, that was way too hot, with 4 people. The people were very, very, very nice. But, it doesn’t matter how nice they are when the focus on the meeting is…
Read MoreRunning From Your Problems
I can think of a dozen times throughout this journey where I have considered taking my family and moving away. I fantasized that we would buy a cabin on a lake somewhere. Jamie and I would both work from home and we would raise the kids the way we wanted too. I would even homeschool the boys. Doing this seemed so right. Probably because the parent of a special needs child lives in constant Fight or Flight mode. I guess what I am really trying to say is that I fantasize about…
Read MoreEvaluation One of Eight is in the Books
We had Cooper’s 1st evaluation of 8 yesterday for the school district. Of course, during a blizzard. What else is new? These 8 evaluations are required to determine if he is eligible for a free spot in a developmental preschool through the school district. Yes, please! At the time of the evaluation I had been awake for 28 hours straight. My dear friend had her baby and I got to be in the delivery room with her. If you want to talk Super Mom than you need to meet…
Read MoreThe Evaluation Summary
So, how did the evaluation go? That is the question. And better yet, how did this train wreck mom handle it? First let me say, the end result is exactly what we wanted. Cooper will start a developmental preschool through the school district in the fall. He will attend 3 hours a day, 4 days a week. He will get help with speech, fine motor, gross motor, sensory, etc. He can also be bussed. (SCARY!) So, this is great. Now for the real stuff. I had been communicating with the…
Read MoreYes, I'll Jump Through Your Hoops
Cooper is going to ‘most-likely’ start preschool in the fall with the school district. This is great for so many reasons. First, Duluth doesn’t seem to have any other places that can give him the services he needs. There are a lot of preschools but they are all for typical developing children. Second, Super Cooper will have a team devoted to him. He will have a speech therapist, occupational therapist, etc. It takes a village folks! And, he can be bussed to and from. (This freaks me the hell out…
Read MoreI See an IEP Fight In My Future
Cooper’s pediatrician called me yesterday. I about pooped my pants when I saw the number on caller ID. I always think the worst for some reason. But it was a good call. She was following through with us about the Developmental Pediatrician. Apparently, in the whole entire state of Minnesota, there is one clinic that is currently taking new patients. Um…WOW. And since there is a 9 month wait she recommends that we make the appointment and hopefully things improve and we can cancel it. I like her positive attitude. She…
Read MoreOccupational Therapy and Super Human Mommy Strength
In the meeting on Wednesday, Cooper’s speech therapist recommended that Cooper start Occupational Therapy. And she even recommended a place to go. Woo-Hoo! I called right away on Wednesday and made an appointment for Friday to meet with her. Well, Friday morning Cooper woke up pissed off at the world. He wanted Oreo cookies for breakfast and was really confused as to why he couldn’t have them. So, the whining started early. And my patience got worn early. And I was worried about his behavior during the appointment. Coop’s and I left…
Read MoreFinding Cooper
I’ve been staring at my computer for a while now trying to figure out what to write about our meeting with the child psychologist. A few words come to mind. Acceptance is one of them. It’s time now. Time for me to accept this. Right now, today, Cooper has special needs. It may get better and it may not. Honestly, the meeting probably had the best outcome that it could have. So, in that sense it was great. I’ll give you the facts first. Then I’ll give you the feelings. They…
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