Meeting

Himself and I had Thing Two's annual IEP meeting with the relevant school personnel last week.  This is the meeting where we discuss how he's been doing and make plans for the following school year.  Not that we don't touch base informally all along, but this is the formal planning meeting required by law.  The kid will be in middle school next year, God help us.  Thats a whole new can of worms to navigate, if you'll pardon the mixed metaphor.

On the bright side, they do some class changing in fifth grade, so that concept shouldn't be new to him next year.  (Back when Thing One went through they spent much more time in their own homerooms than they do now, and I like the new way much better since it is a good segue to the middle school model.)  He's doing very well in science and social studies and not bad at all in math considering that he's trying to do two years in one--he wasn't in high math last year, but is now. The major issue, as always, is language arts with the language processing issues he has.  Right now he has aide support in core subjects, but those are paraprofessionals.  Their main job is to keep him on track and focused.

Starting next year, he will have a certified special Ed teacher in his language arts class with him, to work with him and any other kids who need it, and that person will actually help to teach him (and run interference with the regular classroom teacher for him) as well.  It's a fantastic arrangement and one I had hoped would be an option.  They offered it before I could even ask.  I love this school.  He will still have speech services and the paraprofessional in the other core subjects as well.  Talk about caring about the kid and setting him up to succeed!  I know this is not at all the experience many parents have with the Special Education team at their schools, and I am beyond grateful for our good fortune.