Crossed fingers

Saturday was a crazy day. The boys were feeding off each other and SO incredibly hyper AND I had a bit of a headache. Bless his heart, DWAM told me to go take a nap. So I did.

30 minutes later he woke me up. Huh? I was so disoriented. Why would he be waking me up? He was holding the phone. I immediately thought a loved one was dead. Then he told me that our Special Education Coordinator was on the phone. Huh? You have to be kidding me! On a Saturday? I've been waiting all summer for a response and she calls now during a much needed nap. Seems fair.

So I shake my head and try to get the cob webs out. As I am walking out of the bedroom DWAM says she has been out of the country. My heart skips a beat. Just the night before I had vented on my blog...

I have not received a single correspondence from this person. For all I know she hasn't even opened my original email! For all I know she is sitting on a beach in the Bahama's drinking Coronas.

I stutter stepped and gulped. For a minute I became paranoid that she had read my blog and was messing with my mind saying that she had been out of the country. Had she said that she was in the Bahamas I think my brain would have imploded. Right then and there I decided to stop blogging about any specific people! And after today I will follow that principle.

So it took me a few minutes to get my heart rate down and talk coherently. We talked for a good half hour. Unfortunately I had to start at the beginning because I didn't get the feeling that she had much info in her case file. Actually it almost felt like she was just returning my call. Perhaps the receptionist had caller ID and did take a note on Thursday when I called. At the time I was shocked by the Coordinators "unavailable" status. I didn't not volunteer to leave note. In fact, I wasn't really very polite about the whole situation!

So anyway, we started at the beginning and I updated her with my concerns. She listened and seemed very professional. Her suggestion was that we reconvene the IEP team. But my dilemma was that every member of that IEP team had already told me they were in agreement with us. But I couldn't come out and say that the teachers have told me that they feel he needs X, Y and Z. I don't want to put their butts on the line. I want them to feel comfortable talking to me. They need to know that I won't use what they say against them in the court of special ed law! So far they have been very good about telling me what to fight for. I don't want them to clam up!

It is my understanding that the principal has already requested full classroom supports. We have requested it. The bottleneck is the Coordinator. Hopefully she can evaluate the classroom situation and approve our request. Even if we met with the IEP team it would still come down to her needing to hear it from the teachers and probably visit the classroom and see for herself that this is necessary. She is supposed to get back to me by July 27th.

She did inform me that if we have to reconvene the IEP team that the meeting couldn't be scheduled until August 10th. That is the first day available for the school staff. That is the Friday before school starts! I imagine that if she does come around we will still have to meet on the 10th to change the IEP to reflect these supports. I can live with that. Atleast then I know that we have a definitive plan in place before school starts!

I emailed the summer school teacher and asked her to try and present some data about what JP's difficulties have been this summer. His summer school teacher has had 20 years teaching in a self contained special education room. She is now teaching regular ed 1st graders. If the Special Education Coordinator can't appreciate her insights than this whole thing is a lost cause!

So, anyway, I have my fingers crossed.