Today was our first IEP meeting with the new team. I'm really happy with the results and how cooperative everyone is. They asked for my input and listened to what I had to say. They asked for suggestions and also gave some good ones of their own. I think we are fortunate in a sense that the teachers at this school have some previous experience with a child with FASD. That and I was able to convince them early on that I know what I am talking about when it comes to dealing with Alivia. I hear such horror stories about parents being ignored by teachers and kids not getting the services they need, but I've been really blessed with good teachers, therapists, and administrators who have been willing to do whatever it takes to help Alivia. This team is all about challenging her, motivating her, and helping her to be as successful as she can be and I am thrilled to have them all involved!
One of Alivia's weak areas is writing skills. This goes back to impaired motor function from the FASD brain damage. We are going to be working with her intensively on this with writing practice and other fine motor skill development activities. Gran found a really cute buttoning activity and I am going to see if I can find the game "Operation". It has those little tweezers that you use to pick up bones and you get a buzzer if you touch the sides. It'll be a fun challenge for her.
I've been trying to find ways to encourage her to eat more, too. Sometimes she'll do better if she has helped prepare the meal, so I've been having her help me make dinner each night. She helped me make meatloaf a couple nights ago and her eyes simply lit up when I told her that, no, she could not have a spoon; meatloaf has to be mixed with your hands! It was so cute! And her meatloaf was great, too! Of coure, I did measure out the ingredients for her, but still! She got to choose the sauce (a hawaiian marinade with pineapple and terriyaki sauce) and it was really quite delicious!
Our other big challenge has been getting some play time each evening. We have an epidemic of poisonous snakes in our neighborhood--the drought is bringing them out of the woods in search of water. This means she can't go outside by herself as 1) she pays very little attention to her surroundings, and 2) if she did see one, she'd likely try to pick it up. So this means I have to be outside with her. We've been taking walks and visiting with all the neighborhood dogs... Last night we walked up to the drugstore (a mile and a half each way) and only saw two snakes--both rattlers--but most nights we see a water moccasin or two, as well. Scary! I've learned to carry a long stick with me just in case we get too close and I have to flip one away from us. Scary!
~ Jeana
No comments:
Post a Comment