Yesterday we had Jonalyn’s annual IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting. Her special ed teacher, classroom teacher, favorite aide, and all her therapists were there. All raved about the progress she’s made this year. One thing that has helped is that her attention span has increased and she is so eager to learn. This helps so much and is why she has made such nice gains this year. I think part of it is because she is maturing (remember, she is almost 8 1/2) and because she is really, really settled and attached now.

They have been doing a couple of new multi-sensory programs with her this year with nice success, so this will continue and they will look for others. It’s important to keep the learning fresh and fun for Jonalyn. She does learn well through music and play. She loves to play Uno and Go Fish. Hmmm, if we could just teach her how to play poker…

So, the bottom line is that they are increasing all of her services, which is something we’ve wanted for a while. They (and we) will continue on working to make her independent. For instance, we are going to try to wean her off of having an aide meet her at the door in the morning when I drop her off. And she will be given little errands to do within the school. We’ll see how this goes.

All in all, this is the best I’ve felt about an IEP meeting so far. We’re happy with the direction her education is taking and the obvious love they have for Jonalyn is encouraging. As always, I’ll keep you updated on how she does. Thank you all for your prayers for Jonalyn over the years.