IEP's, IEP's, and more IEP's

Kinnick and Carver's IEP's are due again. The IEP's have to be reviewed once a year. This year, we're going to let Carver attend pre-school. He's done well without oxygen at night (except when sick), and when he does get sick, it doesn't seem to drop to his lungs. Kinnick will be staying home again this year unless things change. She continues to have problems with lung infections. Anytime she's around someone with a slight cold, it turns into pneumonia. We still haven't been able to take her off oxygen at night, either. So, I just don't view her as a candidate for school, yet. Carver will benefit from going to school. There is just so much more available to him at the school. I'm an equipment freak and do my best to get anything and everything possible to help both of the kids at home, but it just doesn't compare to what's available at school. For example, at home Carver is getting a total of 3 visits/MTH from the PT. Each visit is only 30 minutes. In the school, he will get 3 visits/WK from the PT. Each visit will be 15 min. In addition to the visits, Carver will be placed in positions during the day to help strengthen his core, neck control, standing, sitting, crawling, etc. This is a huge difference, and he really needs it.

I spent 4 hours in IEP meetings on Friday, and we're still not done. We'll meet again in a couple of weeks. We've worked through most of the goals for both Kinnick and Carver. We still need to work out Nursing in the school for Carver, a 1:1 for Carver (Intervenor type person) for the classroom, and busing. In order for Carver to take the bus to school (which is next door), he will require a 1:1 on the bus with him. Details, including responsibilities, need worked out for each of these things. The details need carefully thought through and worded in a way that benefits Carver and insures that he will have all of the support necessary to make school a success.

I was pretty pleased with all of the goals that the therapists came up with for the kids. They were on the same page as me, and made complete sense. I added a few small goals without any push-back from the therapists. I'm excited to see where we are this time next year.

I do have a question for my followers..... Have any of you had success holding your child back a year before going to Kindergarten? If Kinnick and Carver were born on their actual due date 7/16/2007, they would have been really young to start school - with a 8/1 birthday cut-off date. So, even though they were born 3/29/07, I still feel like they won't be ready at age 5.

I'll list all of our IEP goals in my next post.

February 17th, 2011

This is hilarious! Carver knows a lot more then people give him credit for.....

Check this out. Carver knows how to turn his musical toy back on. I wondered how it was getting turned back on after I turned it off in the evenings.

February 10th, 2011

Sorry that I haven't posted lately. Kinnick and Carver have both been very sick. The doctor wanted Kinnick admitted to the hospital. We managed to convince him that we could manage her just the same at home. We've been struggling since Friday to keep her oxygen saturation in the 90's. At times, I wasn't sure we were going to be able to do it. She's been on up to 2 lt of oxygen 24hr/day. We've been giving her tylenol/motrin around the clock for a fever. We finally got an antibiotic because it went to her lungs. She has pneumonia. Since she got the antibiotic and a super boost shot of Rocephin, she's doing much better. Hopefully, she'll be well by Monday. Carver has a terrible cough and sinus infection. He's been so miserable. All he wants to do is cry. I'm sure it hurts to cough. Neither are eating anything - Thank God for the G-tube, or they would both be in the hospital. Carver also got an antibiotic, so sleep may be in the near future for all of us. That would be nice :o)