Nearly 3 weeks and the IEP situation has not been resolved.  I have been trying to hold my tongue here (a little bit) during negotiations.  The tension and stress just really suck.  BUT—I will not give up until they agree, in writing, to provide the support and scaffolding Lily needs to develop as a student and a human being.  Because I am NOT going to college with her to check her Student Planner every night.

Received another revised version of the IEP tonight and STILL the language makes it sound like her Executive Function deficits, which are caused by her disability–ADHD, are really only a concern to her parents. In fact, to the rest of the team, it doesn’t seem to be a problem that Lily had 9 missing or late Math assignments & 7 missing or late Language Arts assignments last trimester.  (and those are the ones I didn’t catch) C’mon? What’s the problem?  Her grades are fine. What am I complaining about?  I’m sure her future teachers won’t have a problem with that either, right?

The IEP also seems to suggest that learning those Executive Function skills is completely my daughter’s responsibility. That perhaps some all-seeing, all-knowing, list-making, anal-retentive Student Planner fairy is going to sprinkle sparkly organizational dust from the sky and it will float down upon her sweet 11-year old forehead, soak into her frontal lobe and she will magically, without help, turn in all her assignments, on time.

Maybe the Organizational Fairy could also make these wishes come true:

*After being reminded both verbally and on the board, Lily will understand what to write in her planner every day.

Oh, asking for adult assistance. That’s a big one and pretty much, right now, it doesn’t happen.  But her IEP goals and objectives say it should happen, somehow.  Oh, right… maybe the Fairy again?

Sadly, there is no Organization Fairy who can help break these seemingly simple tasks down into small enough steps for Lily to begin to learn to do it for herself.

I guess if Lily will just buckle down, put her shoulder to wheel, pull herself up by her bootstraps and shape up or ship out, she’ll do just fine next year, won’t she?  ‘Cause I’m sure that’s all it takes.  It’s just a character flaw that can be fixed with just a few natural consequences, right?  Yep. That’ll teach her.