The Help From Jane

I contacted my daughter’s Orientation and Mobility teacher to see if she could recommend a private services company to help over the summer with my daughter.   We desperately need some help for her so she can navigate around both successfully and carefully.   Because the school year has ended, the services we were getting from the public school system have ended, but the timing is poor because my daughter’s vision has just taken a significant downturn which has affected her ability to move around and be safe in her environment.

Some people complain about the school system’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) process, saying they don’t believe they get the services they need.  Some have said they have to fight to get help and it’s been a struggle the entire way.   Parents have had to aggressively advocate for their child just to get help, I’ve heard.   Our experience is anything but that.

Jane, who has seen my daughter’s change in vision firsthand, emailed me saying she thought we needed to expand the services to include year round (over the summer) support because my daughter had a clearly demonstrated need.   She quickly set up an IEP meeting for today.   This, in and of itself, was impressive.   The first IEP meeting we had took four months to get scheduled.  

The meeting happened quickly over the phone today with the result that my daughter will have not one as before, but two O&M sessions each week until the start of school in August.    My husband and I are so grateful for their help.   We’re so impressed with the care and initiative our teachers have shown in helping our child.    We are very grateful.

Today, after the meeting, Jane came to our house to walk me through some things we can do to help my daughter with her cane.   Bottom line: she’s not ready for a cane yet, but we can do some things to continue to introduce it and build skills with my daughter.   I have some materials to read and Jane left me with a list of additional things we can do to try and entertain my easily bored, recently blind child through the summer.   I told her I couldn’t thank her enough as she left.

The Big Boy Update:  As I unpacked my son’s purple bag from school today I realized tomorrow would be the last time he would take his now five-year-old purple bag to school as next year he’ll take a backpack.  

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Today I looked at my daughter’s purple bag and realized it would be the last time she’d take it to school as she’s going to a new school next year.   It’s a bit sad.