IEP and Kindergarten time

IEP, the Individualized Education Program.
Kindergarten, next school year will be the time for Brayden.

A meeting today that involved many people.  The IEP process and officially being in grade school involves a lot of people.

Brayden is NOT at our local school.  The school cannot accommodate him in any way shape or form.  I love the school for Carter and Luke but there is no way we would do it for Brayden.  It does not have a special ed program, the school is older and barely accessible, there would not be an appropriate place for him to have therapy or even just a diaper change.

So he is bused about 20 minutes from home to a school in Leesburg.  He has been attending the preschool special ed program there for 3 years.  For kindergarten, he will be at the same school just a room over.

Even though he will not be at our local school, all of his coordinating IEP meetings have to be there since it is our "home" school.

The meeting includes the Waterford school principal, the Waterford kindergarten teacher (even through she will not be his teacher nor will he be at Waterford), Brayden's preschool (ECSC) teacher, the Special-ed Grade school teacher (who will be his teacher for elementary school), the Physical therapist, the Occupational Therapist, the Vision therapist, the Speech Therapist...and of course Brayden and I.  Only a couple of people did not attend the meeting.  Brayden was so thrilled with the meeting that he slept, a very deep sleep while we all sat and discussed his kindergarten future.

I can understand how the IEP process can be overwhelming.  A lot of people, a lot of words and acronyms being tossed around and wow, a lot of paperwork.

Going into the meeting we knew the changes that were going to be made and how his kindergarten year would look.  The IEP lays out many descriptions, goals, steps to the meet the goals, as well as services Brayden will receive.

Brayden currently goes to school from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.  For kindergarten we will be attempting 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.  I am not ready for him to go all day.  It took me a long time to get comfortable with him going 5 days a week.

What I did not realize is that I still have to register him for kindergarten.  I have to go to school with all the other parents on registration day and enroll just like everyone else does for "regular" kindergarten.  And oh yes, that is more paperwork.