My son's IEP meeting is Monday morning. I know going into it that it will be pretty dang ugly. They say he does not qualify for any speech services any more. I think it's odd that the only person who does not find his speech to be difficult to understand is the one who evaluated him. However, the only real thing I can do is fight their decision.
I swing back and forth between gearing up for a long, drawn-out battle which I am convinced I will ultimately win, and wondering whether I should just save my energy instead of stressing myself out over a battle I am sure to lose.
It's not enough to get ready for a meeting. I apparently have to play mind games with myself now, too.
I honestly do not know if there is any possible outcome that will make me happy with how well they help my son. I am presuming he will be thrown to the wolves in a kindergarten class with no aide (an extra pair of hands and eyes are necessary for when my son just freezes and doesn't know what to do next, or shuts down emotionally), no air conditioning (his allergies trigger his reactive airways and he spends far too much time coughing, congested, and wheezing), a teacher who firmly believes in shouting all the time (which is horrible in general, and even worse for a kid who has auditory sensitivities), and absolutely no speech services whatsoever. I know none of that is good for my son. I really hope the Special Services team feels the same way that I do. I doubt they will though.
Ultimately, if being considered a "normal" kid is the worst thing that could happen, it's not the end of the world. I just want my son to feel comfortable in school even if he never truly likes it. Setting him up for failure starting in kindergarten does not bode well. I have to fight for my son.
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