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Wrapping up the School Year | Evaluating Your Child’s IEP

Wrapping up the School Year | Evaluating Your Child’s IEP

It’s that time of the year again to meet with teachers, principals and other ESE folks to wrap up your child’s IEP.

The good news is, this is a sure sign that summer is right around the corner! Before you meet, Cayer Behavioral Group would like you to ask yourself these three simple questions: 

  1. Has the classroom met my child’s needs? 
  2. Were the goals listed in my child’s IEP meaningful and the methods used to teach the goals effective? 
  3. Has my child benefitted from this year’s IEP? 

If your answer is no to any of these questions, we encourage you to answer the 5 W’s. 

Who was responsible for your child during their school day? 

What were the obstacles your child faced this year? 

When were the individual goals supposed to be met?         

Where was the location and person in charge of helping your child meet their goals? 

Why weren’t you notified that progression wasn’t occurring?  

Having a true heart to heart with your educator and your family will help you recognize and ACCEPT both the good and bad the 2017-2018 school year delivered and will be helpful in developing next year’s plan.  Cayer Behavioral Group wishes you nothing but love and luck as you tackle the often dreaded IEP meetings. Hang in their mama’s and daddy’s. Longer days and hours of fun filled sunshine are right around the corner! 

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Cayer Behavioral Group at 850-320-6555 or email support@cayerbehavioral.com for more information. 

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5 Ways to Maintain Positive Communication with Teachers

Let’s take a moment to pat ourselves on the back for making it through the first month of school — we did it! As a parent of a child with autism, it’s especially important to maintain positive and continued communication with teachers. There are so many day-to-day happenings that are important for both parents and teachers to know about. Here are some helpful ways to maintain a strong relationship with your child’s teacher.

    1. Ask for their preferred method of contact. This is important. The last thing anyone wants to happen is to find out you’ve been writing emails to someone who never checks their inbox —  yikes! Asking them for the best way to reach them from the beginning can clear up any confusion early on.
    2. Try to communicate outside of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings. IEP meetings are a great way for teachers, parents and therapists (if your child has one who comes to school) to sit down and review the child’s progress and where they need improvement. However, sometimes things can’t wait to be shared at the next IEP meeting. Setting up meeting times in-between IEP meetings can help parents, teachers and the child tremendously.
    3. Be respectful. As a parent of a child with autism, your child’s needs are evident. A teacher can have many other students in the same classroom with varying needs. We need to respect that our child is not the only one in the equation. Trust that the teacher is doing the best they can to not only meet your child’s needs, but those of their peers.
    4. Give them your tips. A child can have many teachers and faculty come in and out of their life. Communicating your tips and tricks to your child’s specific needs can be a tremendous help. Also, it may give you some relief that the teacher is going to use the same techniques that you do at home. Consistency in the life of your child with autism can be beneficial to them.
    5. Remember: This is a team effort. Everyone involved wants to see your kiddo succeed. Knowing what they do at home can help the teacher throughout the school day — and knowing what they did at school can help you at home. With effort being shown and communicated on both sides, you can expect to see some positive results this school year.

 

 

We are all busy. Sometimes, maintaining communication with a teacher can’t fit into your schedule. We totally get it. But occasionally using and sticking to a few of these methods can make a difference in the school year. We already conquered one month, so here’s to a happy and healthy nine more! #autismawarenesseveryday

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Homework and Task Strategies

Having a child sit down and focus on homework after a long day at school can be an uphill battle. Kids with autism often have more problems at homework time than their peers. Please, have no fear. Cayer Behavioral Group is here to help you and your child get through homework scotch-free!

Before starting, make sure the homework assignment is understood by your child. Having clear instructions outlined (in tiny steps) may make a world of difference when they are trying to understand the purpose of their homework. Also, make sure the homework is in step with your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Don’t be afraid to refer to your child’s IEP for help when communicating with the teacher and the overall immediate goal.

Next, place your child in an environment where they can succeed. Establish a designated homework-spot and time for you and your child, or even the whole family! This way, everyone in the household is aware: it is time to focus and distractions and interruptions are very limited. This way, you and your child can focus on what’s important–their success!

Last but not least, motivate and reinforce your child’s accomplishments, no matter how big or small! And, don’t be afraid of taking breaks. If a five minute task is taking ten to fifteen minutes, thank them for focusing and give them a little, well deserved, breather. Thanking them for focusing or completing a series of problems and allowing them to walk away from the task at hand will make a massive difference in your child’s motivation and mentality about homework. If your child sees their efforts are noticed and appreciated, homework time is bound to be more enjoyable!

Homework time may not always be smooth sailing, but Cayer Behavioral Group hopes these tips lighten the load! Remember, you are never alone and everyone involved wants to see your child succeed! #autismawarenesseveryday

 

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