The Road to First IEP

So much has happened I’m not sure where to begin. Sweet Pea is doing really well. The novelty of school has worn off and she still loves going to school. So that’s a good thing. Many of her classmates at school wave and say “Hi” when she’s on campus, but it’s their parents that she’s most interested in. I’m happy she seems well liked by peers but there’s always a part of me wondering “when will she be as interested in them as they are in her?” Sweet Pea does keep her emotions close to her so it maybe that she is interested and hasn’t quite figured out a way to communicate it yet. The bonus is the Montessori charter school provides ample opportunity for her to practice and that’s a good thing.

In the last 30 days I’ve had a lot of conversations, emails, academic assessment, and observations in order to prepare for the IEP. Here are some things that I’ve learned.

No Time To Lose. Why We Chose A Montessori Charter School For Our Child With Special Needs

Every Minute Counts

When my husband and I were first given sweet pea’s rare and complex congenital heart defect diagnosis we asked a lot of questions regarding her “quality of life.” At the time, quality of life was another way of asking how “normal” sweet pea would be in order to take advantage of all that life had to offer. Would she have a lot of hospitalizations? Would she be able to participate in physical activities such as hiking, running, swimming and most importantly golfing? Would living with half a heart affect her ability to make friends and keep friends? With time, my definition of “quality of life” changed from sweet pea behaving “normal” to sweet pea’s state of mind. A good quality of life means that sweet pea experiences joy, love, and contentment no matter what her physical, social, emotional and mental capabilities are.