If you have a child with any degree of learning disability you most likely are familiar with the IEP. An IEP is an individualized education plan. It sets forth educational goals for the child. It also outlines the services that the school will provide (speech, occupational, physical therapies, etc.). Once each year we sit down with the school and–line by line–we write the IEP. The therapists who provide services to the student are on hand to offer status updates and suggest goals for the upcoming year.
Every IEP meeting that I’ve ever been to starts out with helpful and encouraging updates as to Cassidy’s progress. By the end of that second hour, though, things start to drone on. And on. And on.
The same could certainly be said for yesterday’s IEP. Until, that is, one of the staff members brought up a concern that needed addressing.
You remember that little flatulence issue that Cassidy‘s family suffers through?
The staff is all too familiar.
In the midst of the IEP we spent a good twenty minutes discussing possible solutions.
The discussion resulted in near hysterical laughter at one point as we explored the ramifications of Cassidy’s tummy turbulence.
For the most part, everyone refrained from labeling the issue at all, referring to it as a “stomach problem” or the expelling of air.
And then there was Jeff.
Who, not once, but TWICE said the “F” word during the discussion.
And yes, by the “F” word I’m referring to the four letter one.
The one that rhymes with heart.
Because if anyone is klassy, it is most certainly him.
As if his showing up thirty minutes late for the meeting wasn’t bad enough.
You know what else he was doing throughout the meeting?
Leaning his child-size chair back onto the two back legs. An action that he gets onto the kids for doing at home.
By the end of that meeting something tells me that the staff learned a lot about where Cassidy’s behavior issues stem from.
I’m just sayin’.
