Parents, teachers, psychologists… First IEP meeting coming up with a Kindergartner, plan sound appropriate?

Nov30

Parents, teachers, psychologists...

Posted at 2:44 AM • 9 Comments

Some background info- My son has a HUGE vocabulary but doesn’t pronounce all of his words correctly. The school also said he gave strange answers to questions- they asked, “Why do you brush your teeth?” and he replied, “because I don’t want my teeth to be like a garbage can.” He’s very creative, great imagination. Makes friends fast but is a bit bossy/pushy with them & thinks it’s funny to mock them sometimes. Has meltdowns with transitions sometimes and gets frustrated quick when things aren’t “just right”. Almost compusivley has to have things a certain way. Has a few sensory issues- doesn’t like hair touched, wrinkly socks, etc. He is left handed and his fine motor skills are a little off- can write & make small cuts with scissors but it’s difficult for him.

I met with the school psychologist and to cut things short, her tentative plan is speech 2x a week, OT 2x a week and a once a week meeting with her to talk and role-play to help improve social skills, I think.

So, parents, teachers and psychologists-
Does this sound like an appropriate plan? I feel weird about my 5 year old having weekly meetings with a psychologist- is this common and/or normal for a child such as my son? I know he has his issues but I’m just feeling like that’s a bit much. He isn’t angry or aggressive, when I think of a child seeing a psychologist I think of a child with deeply rooted issues. Maybe there is a reason for it I’m not seeing? Also, do you have any tips for the first IEP meeting? This whole process is very new for me and I’m kind of lost. Thanks in advance for your help.

A school psychologist for most kids is there to provide support for any kid that does not fit neatly into a pigeon hole. My son who is in first grade has similar issues. He is getting social skills group 1X/week facilitated by the psychologist and half the group the kids have good social skills, the other half need some work on it.

For your IEP, I suggest going to it with a typed out list of what you would like in the plan, ask for more than what you expect to get, and have a copy for each person at the meeting. At the meeting usually there are the OT, SLP, psychologist, teacher, sp. ed teacher maybe he may not have one, educational diagnostician, and principal. Here are some things that my son has that may benefit your son.

To ease transitions have the therapist call the teacher to give your son a warning that Mrs. A. is coming for speech in 5 minutes. Have your son have a visual schedule on his desk and locker of what is coming next, this really reduces anxiety and behaviors. They usually laminate it, and have as an example arrival hanging up coats, circle time, seatwork, snack, bathroom break, specials, story time, recess ect. My son's had 8 pictures on it in kindergarten. Have your son have a warning in advance that there will be a schedule change, even for assembly's and fire drills.

For fine motor he would benefit from additional time on his work, also ask for untimed tests even state tests. The state tests given in a small group over multiple sessions with prompts helps my son to score at grade level. When these state tests are timed and the child has slow difficult handwriting or begins to look around and not be on task this accommodation can make a huge difference. Ask for a slantboard for him. This is a clipboard looking item for him to write on, its at a 30 degree angle, decreasing strain and difficulty for those with fine motor delay. It is good to get this now, by the end of the year they are writing a couple of sentences. A triangle pencil grip helps too. We have highlighted paper that provides a visual cue for my son to know where to put the lowercase letters, this is more helpful in first grade, though we did use it in kindergarten, my sons fine motor issues are moderate. Have goals to address some of his sensory needs.

Ask for preferential seating. Ask for a break card. Ask for positive reinforcement for him by giving him a smelly sticker for staying on task ect.

If you don't agree, don't be pressured to sign. I do bring a picture of my son and try to ask them questions like If this were your son….

I agree with Kathi's answer. Maybe see if he can be pulled out for social skills training in a group or have the psychologist come into the classroom to work with him. Meetings can be very negative and stressful, sometimes the delays are pointed out in such a way that makes you feel your child is very far behind. Especially if you exhibit to the team that you just don't see the needs are that much. I have had meetings where my son's scores weren't even on the charts that say below the 1st percentile, the numbers don't mean much, and can jump astronomically in a few months. Reality is my son isn't far behind at all but taken out of context it can make you think oh my, is he never going to talk like his peers? Or write? ect. Ex. May 08 psychologist reported my son is 'off task' 77 percent of the time. We made a plan for a point card ect, that has already been d/c'd last week because he has no trouble with inattention this year. Last year I am thinking they are going to want him on medicine ect.

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9 Responses

In schools, the psychologists often are there to provide support in appropriate behavior and social coaching. To me, it sounds like a good plan to get help now as opposed to years from now. If your son is showing signs of difficulty with friends now, eventually he will be excluded and sink deeper, and deeper into behavior that would inhibit his social growth.

I’m glad that your son’s school is proactive about the situation. In the IEP, go in with an open mind. Be ready to share what your son is good at, what he enjoys, and what strategies work for him (behaviorally) at home.
References :

✭ AnnaBee on November 30, 2008 at 8:15 am.
My son is not yet in kindergarten, but by what you wrote here, I think the school is trying to help your son develop his speech, fine motor skills, and social skills. I think there is a range in age where certain skills are supposed to be present and if they're not, intervening early can save the child from not learning to his potential and from being laughed at by his peers. If I were you, I'd do a research on google about developmental stages and talk to the school again so that they can explain to you why exactly your son needs these extra classes. It's a bit weird for them to be using a psychologist though, and not a therapist or someone along those terms…?
Oops, the psychologist part has been answered by AnnaBee, so no problem there!
And I agree. This is a good school.
References :

✭ Cecilia on November 30, 2008 at 8:28 am.
Sounds like you’re a great parent and you have a teacher who is on the ball. It’s a good thing that you’re onto this so soon. I am a kindy teacher and i feel that parents are mainly concerned with the social aspects of schooling in their child’s first year. Does your child interact with other children outside of school? This could help to develop their self esteem and enable them to form strong bonds with others. I think that schools are pretty quick to request support from counsellors and other specialists but they are often underfunded to ensure that support is provided within a timely manner. I would suggest that you go ahead with this plan, however, would query when this is timetabled. Perhaps you need to seek this same advice from external sources to minimise ridicule and disruption to their education.
References :

✭ Pinky on November 30, 2008 at 9:08 am.
A school psychologist for most kids is there to provide support for any kid that does not fit neatly into a pigeon hole. My son who is in first grade has similar issues. He is getting social skills group 1X/week facilitated by the psychologist and half the group the kids have good social skills, the other half need some work on it.

For your IEP, I suggest going to it with a typed out list of what you would like in the plan, ask for more than what you expect to get, and have a copy for each person at the meeting. At the meeting usually there are the OT, SLP, psychologist, teacher, sp. ed teacher maybe he may not have one, educational diagnostician, and principal. Here are some things that my son has that may benefit your son.

To ease transitions have the therapist call the teacher to give your son a warning that Mrs. A. is coming for speech in 5 minutes. Have your son have a visual schedule on his desk and locker of what is coming next, this really reduces anxiety and behaviors. They usually laminate it, and have as an example arrival hanging up coats, circle time, seatwork, snack, bathroom break, specials, story time, recess ect. My son's had 8 pictures on it in kindergarten. Have your son have a warning in advance that there will be a schedule change, even for assembly's and fire drills.

For fine motor he would benefit from additional time on his work, also ask for untimed tests even state tests. The state tests given in a small group over multiple sessions with prompts helps my son to score at grade level. When these state tests are timed and the child has slow difficult handwriting or begins to look around and not be on task this accommodation can make a huge difference. Ask for a slantboard for him. This is a clipboard looking item for him to write on, its at a 30 degree angle, decreasing strain and difficulty for those with fine motor delay. It is good to get this now, by the end of the year they are writing a couple of sentences. A triangle pencil grip helps too. We have highlighted paper that provides a visual cue for my son to know where to put the lowercase letters, this is more helpful in first grade, though we did use it in kindergarten, my sons fine motor issues are moderate. Have goals to address some of his sensory needs.

Ask for preferential seating. Ask for a break card. Ask for positive reinforcement for him by giving him a smelly sticker for staying on task ect.

If you don't agree, don't be pressured to sign. I do bring a picture of my son and try to ask them questions like If this were your son….

I agree with Kathi's answer. Maybe see if he can be pulled out for social skills training in a group or have the psychologist come into the classroom to work with him. Meetings can be very negative and stressful, sometimes the delays are pointed out in such a way that makes you feel your child is very far behind. Especially if you exhibit to the team that you just don't see the needs are that much. I have had meetings where my son's scores weren't even on the charts that say below the 1st percentile, the numbers don't mean much, and can jump astronomically in a few months. Reality is my son isn't far behind at all but taken out of context it can make you think oh my, is he never going to talk like his peers? Or write? ect. Ex. May 08 psychologist reported my son is 'off task' 77 percent of the time. We made a plan for a point card ect, that has already been d/c'd last week because he has no trouble with inattention this year. Last year I am thinking they are going to want him on medicine ect.
References :

✭ beetlemilk on November 30, 2008 at 9:58 am.
I have “pre IEP…off the record” meetings with many of the folks involved in making my child’s IEP, so this isn’t unusual. But being that you’re a first timer, you do need to be careful. If possible bring someone along with you to observe and take notes, or tell them at least 48 hours in advance that you would like to tape record the meeting. A lot goes on in these meetings, and you might become emotionally overwhelmed. Sitting at a table with at least 4 other people who are going over reports documenting your childs delays can be pretty dang gut wrenching.

Now, here’s how the IEP process is SUPPOSED to work.

Your child is assessed in all areas of suspected need.

Goals are developed in those areas where you child struggles, has delays, tests low, etc…. Example “Johnny will be able to answer WH questions appropriately in 4 out of 5 trials as noted by ST observation” Then it’s broken down into benchmark smaller steps….by 1/20/09 Johnny will be able to answer WH questions with prompting….

THEN: Services are designed to help your son meet those goals. If ST twice a week is what’s appropriate. Great.

THEN the most appropriate placement option is decided. Where is the best place for Johnny to receive the services to reach his goals. Will he have pull out speech? Will the psychologist be going into the classroom once a week to observe and help teach skills? In my opinion, knowing my daughter, going off, 1 on 1 with a school psych once a week would not help her with skills, but having that psych come into the classroom to work with her, help encourage and role play would. Do you see the big difference in delivery of that service?

I always write a letter of introduction to my daughter for the IEP team when it’s a transitional IEP, new people are involved, etc… I write about her strengths, her weaknesses, what works, what triggers her, what she loves, what she hates, and a ancidotal story or two so they have a great sense of who she is as a person. I start the meeting with this introduction, so the team will realize who we’re talking about and keep it fresh in their mind. I make copies for everyone who will be there.

Here’s an excellent place for you to study up on the IEP process. The more informed you are going in, the better the process works for all involved. http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/iep.success.bateman.htm Make sure you go to their main page and sign up for their newsletter as well! TONS OF GREAT INFO!

Good luck!
References :
Mom to a beautiful 9 yr old girl who has autism, an 11 yr old boy with SLD, and a 15 yr old girl who is just too dang funny (when she’s not driving me crazy with the whole teenage angst thing!) I’ve been attending IEP meetings now for 8 years.

✭ Kathi on November 30, 2008 at 10:17 am.
I have been a special education teacher for 17 years. In my experience early interviention ( such as what has been suggested for you child) is the very best way to either correct speech and fine motor skills developmental delays or give the child coping skills to deal with them in social and academic situations.

Without more information it is very hard to develop an IEP for your son. It does sound to me that the interventions that have been introduced are appropriate at this point.

As far as the IEP meeting I would ensure in the minutes for the meeting that it was written that frequent (maybe weekly) progress reports are sent to you so you can see how your son is responding to the interventions. Also, talk to him in the evenings to find out what his feelings are about what is going on. Kids are very forthcoming with information and will tell you what needs to be done if you are attentive to their needs.

Concerning visits with the psychologist, it is pretty common that kids with identified speech delays to be able to express their feeling to a professional. They can identify also what is working and what is not in the interventions and pass on pertinent information to the sped teacher.

At this point go into the IEP with an open mind, ask questions, make sure everything you agree on is documented and read the “procedural safeguards” that will be given to you at the meeting. The safeguards are rather lengthy and quite boring but they have good information for parents.

Good Luck…I hope this helps
References :
17 years special education teacher

✭ fbcoach49 on November 30, 2008 at 10:47 am.
My 9 year old son is the Exact same way!Be glad that the school is even helping you out with OT many school won't even consider helping unless the child has severe autism.OT is really hard to find and really expensive.I Truly believe that children can simply have some severe sensory issues w/o having autism.Most OT"S,speech,and PT"S oh yeah and DT"S believe this as well.To me that is what sounds to be the issue with your son.Be glad that your school district is helping out.There is a great book that can help you understand this more and believe me it's worth your time to read it.The name of the book is called "The out of sync child"get the 2nd addition it's less confusing.Remember this:
#1-no one knows your child better then you
#2-You are your child's advocate if you don't speak up for him no one will
and the reason to see the psychologists is more then likely to help him deal with his anxiety!Good luck.
P.s.don't be shocked either if they eventually offer a diagnosis of aspergers.
References :

✭ Amy G on November 30, 2008 at 11:22 am.
i would also consider an evaluation witha developmental pediatrician to ruel out Aspergers Syndrome.

pyschologist do work on social skills-not just emotional problems
References :

✭ justmeinthisworld on November 30, 2008 at 12:10 pm.
My son recently got his assesment done last year (4th grade). I was on my toes about it because i just thought the whole thing was weird. But eventually we sat down with the teachers, speach therapist, nurse, psycologist, etc and to tell you the truth they are just looking out for your child, its in his best interest. He has an emotional problem, not having his father in his life and it effected him socially. I was told that he may have ADHD. and needed to be evaluated by his doctor.

In california, you have the right to record your IEP meetings–at least at my sons school they did his this. You will get to sit with all the staffs who is involved with your child and they will go around telling you a brief summary about your son, then they will ask you to describe him at home and stuff. They will most likely put him in in IEP classes which will help him in whatever area he needs help with.

Do listen to what they say. But dont allow them to push you to have your son get tested for things you dont know he has…sometimes they can be a little pushy about having your child get tested by the doctors, its their job. But you as a mother know your son more than they do. Once something is on your childs medical record its hard to take it off…good luck and i hope things go well
References :

✭ LoveLies on November 30, 2008 at 12:23 pm.

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