Filling in the Details

I got the date and time of our IEP meeting in the mail yesterday. Two weeks until the big showdown. I am dreading it. I have to meet with the person who can't stand me and was hostile to me. I am in touch with an advocate who will be there with me. Problem is, she works for the county, the same people I will be challenging. I have yet to understand how she will work both sides of the fence. I have a feeling it's like a realtor. They want results, even if it means turning on the person they are working for. It's going to take some heavy divine intervention for me to make it out of this in one piece. No one seems to be looking out for the one this is all about. They don't want my input, the one who knows her best. The good thing is that the advocate is going to try to get a copy of the IEP so we can go over it a few days before the meeting. That way, I won't be taken by surprise. This will help me collent my thoughts and prepare a strategy. Writing these words sounds like I'm preparing for war. Why does it have to be this way? I am exploring all of my homeschool options at this point to be well prepared for alternatives.

I got the name of someone in my area who does cranial sacral therapy. Poor S goes into a panic whenever she hears the word appointment. She just went back to the pediatrician yesterday for the second time to get her wax cleared out. She was only able to get a little more out. I asked her if she could feel when she was close to the eardrum and she said "No" I didn't like that answer. She goes in with this huge plastic insrument and digs out the wax. I don't know if it feels as rough as it looks, but it kills me to think this poor child is in horrible pain each time. I know she has hurt her before, because I need to restrain her the entire time and I have hear her scream take on a different pitch when it changes from fear to pain and her entire body shakes. These last two times, she stopped early because she said her instrument knicked the ear canal. I have tried the last two nights to flush it with warm water. I am hoping this, in addition to the drops will clear it without the doctor needing to risk going through her eardrum. At this rate, she will never get over her fear of doctors. So cranial sacral might have to wait until she gets her ears taken care of.

We are 2 days into our new program. The cross pattern is still hard for her because it is the opposite of what she is used to. She is doing her legs herself for the tonic neck pattern, which is a real blessing. She's thrilled to crawl less, but creeping for 20 minutes is a challenge. I need to do it with her, and it's hard to do. We changed OT to every other week, and I think I've decided pre-school will be twice a week instead of three. I want to leave all together, but 2x a week might be a good compromise. Another pre-school mom said the director came into the classroom and talked about behavior. Imagine what the good kids thought about that. Why can't they address the kids who need it directly? When it's done as a group, the bad kids don't get it, and the good kids think they might be addressing them.

We are having problems with electronic devices. S has been on them quite a bit lately and is becoming obsessed. It is an extra busy time of year, and it's harder to keep her busy doing other things. I have to get a system down, especially if we homeschool.