Questions 1 Is your child’s time spent in…

Questions:
1. Is your child’s time spent in early intervention services helpful to her development in the area of her delays? Why or why not?
Yes. When we put her into EIS it was to get her to communicate, but then we started seeing other areas where she needed assistance. The preschool is working on as many areas as they can at once without overwhelming my daughter. And all the plans interweave so as she’s building one skill she’s also building on others.
2. Are the documents you receive (e.g., written notices and her Individual Education Plan) understandable and helpful in knowing what your child’s intervention would entail?
Many of the notices resemble legal documents and repeat much of the same information each time. I know each notice must include the fact that “At least 7 days prior to the date upon which the school unit proposes or refuses to initiate blah blah blah ….”, but I tend to skip over that then miss the important information.
The IEP plans are broken down quite well. The initial goals are usually technical, but then it is broken down into detail.
3. Do you feel that you have an equal voice during IEP meetings where your child’s plan is discussed?
Yes. Perhaps, sometimes, to much of a voice. For example, when we placed our daughter into early intervention services our goal was that she learn to communicate. However, since she has been there we have seen other children and talk to their parents and it becomes like a menu.
“They can help us with X, Y and Z ? WOW – can we have an order of that also!”
Suddenly we were aware of all the different problems the school could help us with and our focus turned to fixing everything at once. (“Our” – meaning “her parents“)
There are so many different ways our daughter can be helped and at times I feel like I lose focus on the main goal – getting her to communicate – and I’m sending the program into a tailspin.
4. Do you witness effective collaboration among her team members (including yourself) at IEP meetings?
YES! At IEP meetings and everywhere else. The preschool is fabulous. If I mention to a teacher that my daughter is doing X, the next thing I know I’m receiving emails from the onsite therapist asking for more information and they are working on a plan to help us. This just carries over into the IEP meetings, by the time we all sit down, I know what’s coming and I’m already excited about implementing the new plan.
5. Do you have any suggestions for making the IEP or team collaboration process better for children in early intervention services?
No. My hope is that CDS has and is making the process as easy for the preschool as the preschool has made this process for us.
The Preschool has been amazing and has gone above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Not only do they listen and set plans into motion, but they also explain how step 1 will ultimately lead to step 2. This has been the most beneficial to me, because in the beginning I didn’t understand how something as simple as getting my daughter to “HIGH 5” would lead to her saying “HI” and actually greeting me later on.
I only wish we could have started down this path earlier.