MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'iep'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:17:43 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119486&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2010%2F10%2F27%2Fone-step-back-two-steps-forward.aspx Sometimes, you have to take one step back in order to take two steps forward. At A.'s long-anticipated and much-needed IEP Meeting this past Friday, the team decided that A.'s behavior issues needed intense monitoring and guidance, the sort of attention...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119486 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:18:00 +0100 4119486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3063422&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fautism-back-to-basics.html I think it’s time for a good old moan; a grumble on the topic of impairment to joint attention, one of the hallmarks of autism, a pivotal skill that’s adrift, so the experts tell me. The trouble is, when it comes to parenting an autistic child we are often advised to ‘trust our instincts.’ It is my experience that this is basically wrong, or perhaps more accurately, that my instincts are wrong. Lets just look at three of the basics. They’re universal, so I’m told. The power of speech is helpful but not essential.First up:-I am the parent. You are the child and we gave you a name. You have learned your name, so I call you, either because you’re hiding or you’re busy doing something, “Freddy, where are you?” You, Freddy, do not reply. It may be that you’re replying in y... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3063422 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:52:00 +0100 3063422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2786221&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FyO_34vs3LgM%2F Today’s picture struck me because it incorporates another familiar autism symbol, the puzzle, giving two symbols for the price of one. •     •     • The first day of school came two days late for Chicago student Lily Edelstein, 14, whose individualized education plan included busing plans. But the bus never came for Lily, who has autism, due to a communication glitch. Apparently, the school district didn’t submit the transportation request to the city’s Bureau of Student Transportation until Sept. 4, the Friday before the Labor Day weekend, and it usually takes five days to process a request. People whose kids are typically developing may not understand why Lily’s family didn’t simply take her to school themselves. Lily is 5′9″ and often ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2786221 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:00:55 +0100 2786221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442344&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fyou-can-fix-anything.html Or view it here on "U Tube."p.s. it's not my IEP woes, but my pal's that need fixing. We all know what a long lasting headache that can be.Get the code:-Cut and pastefrom this littleboxy thing below If you like what you read, send it to someone in 'need.' (Source: Whitterer on Autism) Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442344 Sat, 30 May 2009 06:19:00 +0100 2442344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1992335&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fbreaking-alex-bartons-mom-seeks-hearing%2F Melisa Barton, the mother of 5 year old Alex Barton an autistic kindergartner who was voted out of his classroom is now seeking a hearing before a state administrative law judge - to settle her sons educational needs and may open the door to possible lawsuits against the schools. According to the TCPalm Melissa Barton released [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1992335 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:09:24 +0100 1992335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1976389&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fautism-consultant-scams-school-parents%2F Stacy Lore, creator of ‘Spectrum Kids’ is being accused of scamming Norwalk Public Schools with false credentials, and charging up to rates of up to $125 and fees for academic assessments of $1,500, falsely claiming Florida Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and the school didn’t find out about it - parents did. According to The [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1976389 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:16:38 +0100 1976389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1951768&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35091&url=http%3A%2F%2Faspies.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fyes-im-still-here-part-ii.html I think those of us on the spectrum are always living close to our outer margins. We use so much of our available resources coping with the sensory barrage and the emotional confusion of the typical outside world, that there is not all that much left.Add illness, stress, or time pressure to that mix, and things fall apart.Last spring, I ran, full-tilt, into the metaphorical wall.My younger son was falling apart and the school was playing its typical delay game. (Fiddling while Rome burns, anyone?) My father went into acute kidney failure and almost died. He is now only alive because of dialysis 3 days a week. My mother needed urgent spinal surgery and has not fully recovered, either mentally or physically in the past 4 months. Add to that, the fact that they live a 3 hour plane ride from m... ASPIES--A place for self-advocacy blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1951768 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:36:00 +0100 1951768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901611&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F4hjmgC6OBDU%2F Unraveling Autism: What’s Next in Treatment and How Do We Best Train Practitioners to Provide It? is the headline for a press release about a panel discussion offered by the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles Campus. I don’t know, I just prefer to talk about teaching—not “treatment.” Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities, disabilities blog, disability, Education, evalution, Health, iep, neuropsychiatry, PsychiatryShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901611 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:40:41 +0100 1901611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901616&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FvDO3uuQv1r0%2F Nestor Lopez-Duran Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and neuroscience researcher, writes the Translating Autism blog, which I’ve come to rely on for thoughtful and in-depth reviews of recent autism research. A recent post, Neuropsychological evaluations of children with autism: From recommendations to practical implementation is especially helpful. Dr. Lopez-Duran notes his own experience conducting neuropsychological evaluations of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and particularly describes how a neuropsychological evaluation can be used to “guide decisions regarding eligibility for special education services”—how it is more than a “diagnostic procedure.” Such an evaluation includes six areas: 1. Cognitive and Functional Academics 2. Self-Management... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901616 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:25:41 +0100 1901616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815386&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F0X63Wy908Kw%2F In recognition of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, b5media bloggers on the Health and Wellness Channel are blogging about the 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. (For a list of the 12 posts on the 12 steps, check out Healthbolt.) This is Step 10: Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it I don’t know a lot about the 12 steps; the call to self-scrutiny and to reexamination of oneself stated in Step 10 have been important for me to apply in figuring how to help Charlie. Parents today frequently note how overwhelmed they feel by the sheer range of treatment—educational, biomedical, and otherwise—options that they hear about for autism. Should one try the special diet? Try brushing or a therapy dog or mu... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815386 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:00:19 +0100 1815386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1802697&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2F%25e2%2580%259cmen-must-attend-iep-meetings%25e2%2580%259d-reprint%2F I originally posted this over two years ago, and like my last post thought it would be worthwhile to reprint it as many parents are preparing for IEPs. = = == === ===== “Men must attend IEP meetings.” This advice comes from Charles Fox at the Special Education Law Blog in a Father’s Day post discussing the role of fathers in the advocacy process. A short excerpt: Fathers and men too often fail to realize that sometimes just showing up at a meeting in support of the child can make an enormous difference. In my list of essential advocacy points, I list that “men must attend meetings.” [number 11] I was actually accused of being a male chauvinist for stating this position at a parent training.What was lost in translation was not that women are incompetent advocates because nothing c... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1802697 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:11:37 +0100 1802697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1798133&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fsun-tzu-and-the-art-of-the-iep-reprint-2%2F I’ve posted this a couple of times before, but it seems worthwhile to post again as many of us enter IEP season.  (originally posted last August) = = == === ===== As a young Army officer, I read Sun Tzu’s Art of War many times (in different versions). When I transitioned into the civilian workforce, I realized that many of the ideas would translate to the world of business. (Not literally, of course. For example, Sun Tzu’s demonstration of leadership ability using the Emperor’s concubines as soldiers.) The Art of War can also be applied to many other common activities, such as the IEP. You can pull from many quotes, but here is my favorite: Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy, but know yourself, ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1798133 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:11:36 +0100 1798133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1763984&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fm-Th91tWY2o%2F Laughter is the best and possibly the oldest medicine, as recently noted on BrainBlogger: Laughter is a naturally occurring response to humorous stimuli and is a rather easily implemented and cost-effective clinical tool. Some lay publications even report that laughter is equivalent to aerobic exercise. It is true that laughter can increase blood flow, stimulate circulation, contract muscle groups, and improve respiratory function. But, these effects are short-lived and laughter is followed by a period of muscle relaxation, decreased heart rate, slowed respiration, and decreased blood pressure. This period may last as long as 45 minutes. Some research has shown laughter causes a decrease in the levels of the stress hormones epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol. This may explain the re... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1763984 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:37:01 +0100 1763984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1652327&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fjust-a-plain-ordinary-loving-proud-parent%2F I started writing about autism, specifically about being an autism parent, just over three years ago. One of my goals was to provide information that would be useful for parents who have recently received a diagnosis of autism for their child. This post is my attempt to give you, as a parent of a newly diagnosed autistic child, an idea of what you will likely find as you try to understand what that diagnosis means to you and your child. Parenting is a challenge, no matter who your kid is. No matter what you do, someone somewhere will tell you that you are doing it wrong. If you are already a parent, you know what I mean. How many times have you heard someone tell you that your kids should spend more time outside, less time on the computer or with their video games, more time reading, less... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1652327 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:29:23 +0100 1652327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1414964&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F281856555%2F What gets “disclosed” and what does not was the issue at the center of the recently released document concerning Hannah Poling. I have “disclosure” and “transparency” of a slightly different sort on my mind right now. Charlie’s IEP meeting is today and, amid reading over documents and evaluations and forms, reading up on IDEA at Wrightslaw, writing up some things, reviewing the draft IEP, I’ve been thinking about how key good, honest, and trusting communication is not only in creating Charlie’s IEP, but for his education as a whole. Charlie’s speech is very limited and—aside from what I observe in his behavior—we rely completely on the reports from his teacher to find out how his day at school went. In Charlie’s ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1414964 Fri, 02 May 2008 08:06:34 +0100 1414964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1383725&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fwhat-if-they-had-been-diagnosed-autistic%2F In his book Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism, author Roy Richard Grinker mentions chess legend Bobby Fischer (p. 63) as someone who may have been an undiagnosed autistic. I’ve just started reading David Edmonds’ book Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How A Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine (P.S.), and have to say that I was thinking the same thing. (For more discussion on the subject check out the Bobby Fischer talk page on Wikipedia.) Which got me thinking: If Fischer were indeed autistic, how would his life - and the history of chess, among other things - have been different if he had been diagnosed when he was young? If he had been provided the treatment and services that are typically demanded today for Asperger’s diagnoses, would he have had... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1383725 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:58:34 +0100 1383725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1380531&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fsun-tzu-and-the-art-of-the-iep-reprint%2F With IEP season upon us (at least for us), I thought it would be worthwhile to re-post this, which I originally posted last August. The text has been altered slightly based on Joe’s recommendations to the original. = = == === ===== As a young Army officer, I read Sun Tzu’s Art of War many times (in different versions). When I transitioned into the civilian workforce, I realized that many of the ideas would translate to the world of business. (Not literally, of course. For example, Sun Tzu’s demonstration of leadership ability using the Emperor’s concubines as soldiers.) The Art of War can also be applied to many other common activities, such as the IEP. You can pull from many quotes, but here is my favorite: Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1380531 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:28:02 +0100 1380531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1331441&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F259255051%2F We’re still going back and forth with Charlie’s case manager about a time for his IEP and annual review—-the district seems to want to have students’ meeting by the end of April (although it is possible for any member of the Child Study Team (CST) to call an IEP when that member wishes to; I understand there is a need for districts to get the meetings done to plan ahead for personnel and other administrative reasons). There are some dates and times that Jim and I just cannot make a meeting as (1) we both have classes to teach ourselves; (2) where we both work—-Manhattan for Jim and Jersey City for me—is nowhere near where we live. At first it was proposed that Jim “attend” the meeting via a conference call but there’s nothing like face-... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1331441 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:00:46 +0100 1331441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146458&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F215786177%2F Researchers from Singapore have found that the aroma of chocolate chip cookies prompted splurging on expensive sweaters. Its not a perfect analogy, but who knows that it might not hurt to blow in some chocolate cookie scent into the room where you’re having an IEP meeting. Maybe it’ll prompt those Child Study Team members to agree to “spend a little more” on services……………     Photo courtesy of desertculinary via Flickr.      Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146458 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 05:09:55 +0100 1146458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=776121&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fsun-tzu-and-art-of-iep.html As a young Army officer, I read Sun Tzu's Art of War many times (in different versions). When I transitioned into the civilian workforce, I realized that many of the ideas would translate to the world of business. (Not literally, of course. For example, Sun Tzu's demonstration of leadership ability using the Emperor's concubines as soldiers.)The Art of War can also be applied to many other common activities, such as the IEP. You can pull from many quotes, but here is my favorite:Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy, but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril.Of course, this may need some translation... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=776121 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 03:52:00 +0100 776121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=768937&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fautism-dads-and-ieps.html Last summer in the post "Men must attend IEP meetings", I quoted Charles Fox of the Special Education Law Blog on the important role men can (should) play in the IEP process. With the beginning of the school year and IEP season looming, I felt it appropriate to reprint Fox's quote:Fathers and men too often fail to realize that sometimes just showing up at a meeting in support of the child can make an enormous difference. In my list of essential advocacy points, I list that 'men must attend meetings.' [number 11] I was actually accused of being a male chauvinist for stating this position at a parent training.What was lost in translation was not that women are incompetent advocates because nothing could be more untrue; rather, that the dynamic of the meeting can often go differently if the f... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=768937 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:07:00 +0100 768937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=734521&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Ffriday-esperanto.html Many moons ago when I was just a wee young thing [translation = eternally optimistic] I was confident that this universal language would be the norm by the time I was an adult. Brits are notorious for the weak language facility, especially when compared to the rest of Europe. I skipped over the need to learn Esperanto myself, as I was having more than enough difficulty with French, German and Latin. I longed for the day when I would understand everyone, no matter how they spoke, a time of understanding and tolerance. No more conjugating verbs, declensions and fiddling about with the past imperative. No more pesky ‘amo, amas, amat.’ I have cause to review my weakness in communication skills, as I examine my son’s Speech and Language evaluation prior to his IEP.The word that leaps of t... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=734521 Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:27:00 +0100 734521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=629090&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fthings-that-bug-me.html I've talked about how we had a pretty good IEP meeting with the school this year. But there are a few things that still bug me. As these things aren't what I consider the "most important" things, we haven't pushed real hard on them up to this point. But they're still important, so we are still formulating how to go about effecting change over the next year.The first thing is how Buddy Boy is treated at lunch. Sometimes he doesn't want to eat lunch. He takes an ADHD med to help him concentrate at school (it works reasonably well), but one of its side effects is that it decreases his appetite during the day. Sometimes he's hungry and wants to eat, sometimes he doesn't. We don't care, as Liz always gets a good breakfast in him, and he eats when he gets home (after his med has worn off).The sc... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=629090 Mon, 21 May 2007 16:18:00 +0100 629090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=623788&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fflip-coin.html During the lull at the IEP meeting, when i’s are dotted, t’s are crossed and photocopies made, I chat to the other team members. I remark about how well the play dates have been progressing with the child we called Joe, in my older son’s class; what a delightful boy he is, so sweet natured, such language facility, how my boys are able to ‘share’ him, how patient he is with them both, how’s he managed to magically lure them outside……I glance up when I realize that I am rambling, to check that we are of one accord regarding Joe’s outstanding personality, so that they may contribute to his adulation, that "paragon of virtue," lucky boy, lucky family, lucky school. I see widened eyes and electricity pass between them. Initially I put this down to confidentiality, which is as ... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=623788 Sat, 19 May 2007 22:15:00 +0100 623788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=601843&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Frecord-time.html photo credit- epcWell, we just had our shortest (and least contentious) IEP meeting ever-one hour, 20 minutes! Buddy Boy is finishing up 1st grade, and this was to review and plan for 2nd grade.Our last IEP meeting (actually series of meetings) came in at over 12 hours. And both sides had lawyers on the clock. As things have been going better lately, we decided to go in without our lawyer (for the first time in a long time). We figured we could just call a stop at any time and reconvene with the lawyers if they started to throw any curve balls at us.What a refreshing change. For whatever reason, Buddy Boy has been doing well the last couple of weeks, and I'm sure this helped. But even in general, things are worlds different than last year. There haven't been the problems with physical aggr... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=601843 Fri, 11 May 2007 19:58:00 +0100 601843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=564709&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fieps-and-non-academic-goals.html Photo credit- kirkland73Somewhere this last week, on someone's blog, I read about a person's son having services dropped at school because he was doing well academically. I've been looking all day, and now can't find whose blog it was on. I like to link to the original sources of the ideas I get, but can't find it now.As I recall, the blogger in question raised the quite legitimate questions of what about preparing their child for "real world" skills. Things like communication, independent transportation, doing laundry, etc.Indeed, the closer one's child gets to "aging out" of the educational system and the few supports it provides, the more one's mind turns to the question of "What's next?" and "Is he prepared?". Susan Senator, on her blog, has recently been advocating forming a new organ... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=564709 Tue, 24 Apr 2007 04:42:00 +0100 564709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=563565&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fieps-are-like.html photo- this morning on my cell phoneOne of the blogs I follow on a regular basis is by Joeymom. She's a great mom who teaches art history in Virginia (and how could I not like a mom who names her kid Joe?). In one of her recent posts, "The Parent Role at an IEP Meeting", she very humorously recounted how being a parent at an IEP meeting is like being a passenger on a plane....However, on an IEP Flight, you as the passenger are also expected to understand how to fly the plane, serve the other passengers, and have full knowledge of how to maintain and even fix mechanical and other problems mid-flight. If an engine falls off, you're expected to know how to safely land the plane, re-attach the engine, and get the whole mess back in the air. The pilot won't set course or work the instruments un... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=563565 Mon, 23 Apr 2007 02:25:00 +0100 563565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=524320&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Freal-men-go-to-ieps.html In the US, the central event in getting a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for your child is the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting. In theory, the meeting is a convocation of all the people that are involved in your child's education, including the parents as equal partners. Teachers, OT's, SLP's, the school principal, autism specialist, etc. are all to join together with you to come up with the most appropriate plan for the coming year(s). Unfortunately, in practice one often feels as if they were on trial in a courtroom in a dictatorship. Many things go on behind the scenes, many are pre-scripted, and it often feels futile to raise any objections to what the "court" has already decided. I've been thinking about these meetings while reading some of the things one of my ... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=524320 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:04:00 +0100 524320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=498818&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F104105191%2F My son’s next IEP meeting is not until the summer but I think about it, and his IEP, constantly: Special education law is not something only to study in preparation for the meeting, but all the time. Every family with an autistic child, no matter where he or she is on the spectrum, has a story of difficult and strained meetings with school district personnel who, one gets the district impression, does not have the best interests of one’s child in mind (whatever they may say). The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) has a series of Parent Guides that have some extensive suggestions about preparing for the IEP meeting, communicating with your school district through letter writing, and more. The guide on developing your child’s IEP contains... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=498818 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:31:53 +0100 498818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=488330&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fhalf-full-and-slightly-tarnished.html The lizard, who fails to acknowledge his given name of "‘Gecky,’" is poised immobile. My pose should also be supine. I prop myself up on my elbows, nursing a mug of crunchy coffee to contemplate the day ahead. The day ahead has merged into the it’s neighbour, because one of my children has turned nocturnal. I wonder how the child that can sleep on his head, in a cupboard or drop to the ground at any time for a nap, has morphed into a waking creature, a very perky one at that? Bed at 8, ‘up’ at 10 to tell us a secret, followed by hourly visits to impart vital or confidential information, has left us dazed. The ‘warning’ note to his teacher, will put her in a better coping position. If I had had a ‘warning’ note yesterday, I might have been in a better coping position mysel... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=488330 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:20:00 +0100 488330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=488349&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fgame-set-and-match.html A couple of years back, I came away from my son’s IEP meeting with a heavy heart. At that time he was progressing well, had come on leaps and bounds. However it was at about that same time that I learned a new fact. I’m uncertain how this fact had eluded me for so long, but it had. Obvious as it was, I had failed to recognize that no matter how well they did, no matter how much progress they made, when you compared their trajectory of development, it was still at a lower angle than their typically developing peers.I’d like to blame this on my poor math skills, but that would be a feeble excuse, as even I, visual learner that I am, can see that one line has a steep incline and the one, beneath it, less so. Maybe I needed a pi chart or a superimposed Venn diagramme to make reality po... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=488349 Fri, 09 Mar 2007 18:22:00 +0100 488349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=487012&cid=t_105177_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F06%2Fmen-must-attend-iep-meetings.html "Men must attend IEP meetings."This advice comes from Charles Fox at the Special Education Law Blog in a Father's Day post discussing the role of fathers in the advocacy process. A short excerpt:Fathers and men too often fail to realize that sometimes just showing up at a meeting in support of the child can make an enormous difference. In my list of essential advocacy points, I list that "men must attend meetings." [number 11] I was actually accused of being a male chauvinist for stating this position at a parent training.What was lost in translation was not that women are incompetent advocates because nothing could be more untrue; rather, that the dynamic of the meeting can often go differently if the father, uncle, grandfather, brother or even male co-worker or friend comes to a meeting ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=487012 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 11:40:00 +0100 487012