Health care is a basic human right, not a privilege. For some reason, we’ve allowed ourselves as Americans to be fooled into accepting that one must be blessed with “means” to actuate appropriate health care. As a nation we have failed to realize that our health care system is a barometer of our society’s value for human life.

-Me

Monday, December 18, 2006

Tagged and the IEP Adventure

So I was tagged by Crazy George for this Christmas tag thing. Thank you George for tagging me! I felt all warm and fuzzy because I was tagged before I even really knew there was a tag going on!

So the deal is that I get to pick five favorite Christmas songs. I'm not sure if any of you know that I am a pastor's daughter (yep I'm a PK, thus my scattered past!), so all of my songs will be songs from church that I grew up LOVING.

1. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
2. Away in a Manger - I've sang this song to my kids since they were babies. I love this song. My son knows it by heart, and my peanut, she doesn't have the joy to sing quite as much as Sandis and I, but she still enjoys to hear it!
3. Joy to the World - This was the liveliest song at Christmastime, us folks were darn near jumping out of the pews!
4. The First Noel
5. (I probably have this name wrong) Gloria! In Excelsius Deo!

So that's that on christmas songs! I can't say I have been super caught up on blogs lately, so If you have already been tagged, please please please disregard me

I am tagging
Julia , Chris, Penny , Vivian , and lastly Beth

I don't expect me to wow me with your songs, but I do expect an occasional wow with words!

On other news and events, I have Sandis's first IEP meeting tomorrow morning at 7:15. I meet with so many people, all at once, and I'm sure it will scare me to death. I have been working towards this for quite some time though, and it feels awesome to know I am moving towards my goal. My goal? My immediate goal of providing Sandis with the services he needs in school to make strides socially and with life skills.

One thing I really fear with Sandis is I fear that his life skills will not evolve and grow. I hope that they will, but typically with Aspergers kids, their intellect is right on the money but their ability to handle life and move through life and tackle obstacles with common sense and tact is severely impaired. This means that many Aspergers adults are in assisted living or group home situations. There are also those Aspergers adults that grow up and learn the very basic life skills to function independently. I hope that Sandis can have this. I mainly hope for this because I know that as a single mom with very limited resources that I just don't have what it would take to set up a decent trust for him if he grows up and still needs additional assistance. As long as I am alive I will provide, but what happens when I'm not around?

Bob doesn't think I should worry about this. I think I need to think about this now. What can I do NOW? I know I said I was tabling this, but it is hard to wrench my heart from this.

We will be starting Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy this month. These are both geared to address social and life skills. Sandis is an awesome learner, I hope so much that he can slow down mentally and physically enough to learn these skills.

He will be exactly as God intended regardles, but it is hard to find that fine line. Are my expectations too low? Are my expectations too high? What is reasonable to expect?

I have no idea.

6 comments:

In Search Of Balance said...

Uncertainty has always been the hardest thing for me to deal with. But Sandis has an advantage in you, and that's a wonderful thing.

All the best to you and Sandis as you continue to sort through options and find solutions that fit for both of you.

mel said...

Last song: Angels We Have Heard on High ?

I like your list of songs, classic :)

Molly said...

I hope that your IEP meeting this morning was good. Sandis is lucky to have someone advocating for him in such a positive way. He will go far.

Scott K. Johnson said...

Great list!

I too think that Sandis has a big advantage in you. Many don't have that much!

Amberthyme said...

I hope all went well with the IEP. I've been reading your blog for a while and I don't remember if I've left a comment for you or not. I remember my first IEP - I felt like I was a kid again, called to the Principal's office and found everybody there- it was so overwhelming the first time!

You have probably heard this before at the support group but just in case you haven't . . . When you are in that room, surrounded by all those experts, remember that although they are experts in their fields you are the expert on Sandis. A little late for your first IEP but this won't be your last one.

Anonymous said...

www.iep4u.com makes iep's easier