End of Year Meeting

Yesterday morning I had my first preschool review meeting. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a wonderful experience! The meeting was set up, because when Boog started the special education preschool, I had been pushing for the 5 day a week program. The teachers at that time felt it was a better fit for him to start in the 2 day a week program and do a reevaluation at the end of the school year. I agreed since the school year only had 3 months left and the reevaluation would be here in a blink of an eye. Sure enough the 3 months have come and gone and next week is the end of the school year.

I new Boog was doing well in class because of the short conversations with the teacher when I came to pick him up. This was a 45 minute meeting were I got to sit down and have all my questions answered and be told his progress in a more detailed manner.

Once in the meeting I was surrounded by four wonderful women (Boog's current teacher, his speech therapist, the school's child psychologist, and his new teacher for next year) who dedicate their live to improving those of young children.

The speech therapist was the one who began. She started off by telling me how he was in March (when he first started preschool). He was not willing to leave the classroom for speech and would have a meltdown. I had already know this so it wasn't a big surprise, but what she went on to tell me was.

Then in April he would just say "no, no" and wave his hands and wasn't very compliant during speech. But in May he was her "Super Star"!

Que the tears, yes hearing that he was her super star made me begin to cry. I consider myself a fairly even tempered person, at least in public. Generally I don't show too many displays of extreme emotion to people other than family and very close friends, crying being one of them. But when it comes to Boog and his improvement with his speech delay and the people who help him, I become overwhelmed with so much joy and happiness I can't seem to contain the tears.

The speech therapist continued on to tell me that he now comes to speech prepared to learn and when the others kids don't cooperate he sits and waits. "He almost seems annoyed that the other kids won't sit down and pay attention" she said and then told me that he walks over to the cabinet where she keeps her flash cards, pull them out, bring them to the table and start doing them. (At this point they needed to bring me a box of Kleenex).

The meeting continues on and I find out that he is doing great and passed all his objectives in his IEP (individual education plan), but two (there were 12). They want to have him start the 5 day a week program in the Fall, to create a more consistent routine. The theory is that since he has improve greatly in three short months with only two days a week, 5 days will really help (hopefully) him blossom.

I say hooray to this!! The more school and speech service the better, anything to get him a head start to a bright future. What a great meeting!!!