30 August 2009

Show You Mean BUSINESS at the Next IEP Meeting.

That's right. If you "show them you mean BUSINESS at that next IEP meeting," it's implied you're going to get everything your child needs written on that IEP and signed immediately. You've shown them you mean BUSINESS, after all. I know the school folks are just quaking, and sentences like, "Yes, ma'am, and can we help your child in any other way?" keep popping out of the principal's mouth.

And what effected this change? How did you show them that you meant BUSINESS, and thus turned the school district administrators into quivering jelly-blobs, begging to give your child the "free and appropriate education" you knew the kid needed before, but didn't know how to arm-twist the school into providing?

Did you hire a lawyer? Research some loophole in the law yourself, thus becoming able to chant the educationalese lingo-bingo magick spell (while waving the wand you constructed of cherrywood and throwing silver glitter) that unlocks the keyhole of expensive accomodation?

No! You bought this product, as advertized on my facebook sidebar. For only $48, you could have this handy-dandy binder, with little pocket folders to hold IEPs and progress reports. And dividers. Dividers show you mean BUSINESS. Maybe I should look around and see if they sell rolling trunks, too, because if a big binder will scare administrators, what could I do with a whole TRUNKFUL of paper?

Wow.

Maybe I shouldn't be so sarcastic, because looking around at the other areas of the website show me that there are some actual useful books that could be helpful for special-needs children. They're a bit on the high end of things price-wise, though. And one of the links on the site tells me never to refer to my children as "autistic" because that's not who they are. That's just one aspect of them, just like me being fat.

Well...

I've changed my opinion on that one. Really? I haven't changed my opinion so much as thought through some of the implications of the vocabulary. I want my autistic children to be as functional as possible in this world, while we all work together to make the environment a place where they CAN function. Oh... and it has a "Welcome to Holland" link, too, which I don't think adequately describes parenting autistic children.

Have you seen any odd or overpriced products as late?

1 comment:

  1. Actually, I have one of those for Marissa. I made it myself... it didn't cost anywhere near $48.

    No, it didn't turn school administrators into jelly-blobs. It does make my life easier. I use it for multiple purposes. I have a section for psych visits that has a section for taking notes on the problems discussed and what was done. Now when people ask what meds Marissa has been on, I know (along with the side effects or reason for taking them off). When I enrolled her at her current school over the summer session, I had her old IEP's. When we went for her neuropsych evaluation, I had copies of her most recent assessments.

    It makes life easier, doesn't open door to services.

    ReplyDelete

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