1) Show up.

2) Know what you want for you child.

3) Hope 1 and 2 are enough to get everything you think your child needs.

I hope you can tell that this is said with tongue firmly in cheek. Today’s meeting did not go badly. Not in the slightest. But there is so much going on in these meetings that you wish you could prepare better for them, or maybe have better goals for  your child.

I have to bite my tongue from calling out, “My goals for this year are to have Katy potty trained, walking and talking!” Nice goals all; but how in the hell do you get there from here? Better yet, are they even possible to reach? No, the goals set in these meetings are all based on day to day activities that help her function better in the classroom, in the gym and with her peers.

One surprise did come out of the meeting though. After our concerns and wishes were taken into consideration (integration into normal class rooms, music therapy continued and integrated into all classes), and all the teachers’ and therapists’ goals were added in, the head of the Special Ed Department at her new school recommended Katy stay at school for the full day rather than the half day that she’s had at Early Childhood Center for the past two years. There are just too many things we’re expecting her to do (or try to do) for her to accomplish in a half day.

The problem with this is, what do we do with the other therapies that we’ve provided out of our own pocket for Katy over the past few years because of their effectiveness? Physical (swimming) therapy, extra speech therapy, chiropractic care, horse therapy, all of these things happened during the time that will now be filled by the school day. We’ll need to figure something out before next August.

For today, though, I’m excited about the possibilities for my little girl. A little bit scared, as well. But after the leaps and bounds that she has exhibited in the past year, I hope I can dream a little.

I owe Katy that much, anyway.