Take a look at this picture…this is Paddington Bear. He is a bear who just happens to be starting school. He has a big heart and tries his best with various tasks, although he ends up doing more harm than good.
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Why I use Paddington as an example is because Paddington represents special education students. As the 2022-2023 School Year Begins, Paddington also represents another form of the special education student: when is it time for the student to attend his or her IEP Meetings?
In the 1989 special, Paddington is told that he must start school because he is “of age.”
Take those two words, “of age,” and ask yourself when is my child or student of age to attend an IEP meeting? For most families, many would not allow their children to attend their IEP meetings at all. They say that it is because the child may not fully understand what is being discussed or maybe that the child may be more disruptive at the meeting.
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Usually, when it comes to the “of age” category, the student is usually around the age of 14 before he or she attends their first IEP meeting. I can understand the possibility that if the child is younger and advanced both in academics and overall behavior, then that qualifies the child as “of age.”
If you recall some of my past blogs about IEP’s, I talked about waiting until I was 13 years old before I attended my first IEP meeting. As more and more students become diagnosed with neurodiverse/disabled conditions, a lot of families are growing more and more confused with the prospects.
Some families are perhaps more afraid of just going through the process as a whole. They fear that their children could be more harmed by attending an IEP meeting than good. Even if the child is “of age” to attend the meetings, the fear is still there.
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The truth of the matter is that when a child is placed on an IEP, he or she is a part of that IEP team that includes both school and parent/guardian. But in reality, its really up to the parent to accept that nothing with the child’s education will be recognized unless if the student him or herself attends.
As a former special education student, I can understand the fears regarding when a child is “of age” in attending their IEP meeting. But if you feel that the child is “of age” then you cannot wait.
In conclusion, take a look at this clip from Disney’s “The Lion King,” which hammers home the message of running from fear vs. facing your fear if the child is “of age” to attend the IEP meeting.
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Catch you all later!!
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