Guest guest Posted November 10, 2009 Report Share Posted November 10, 2009 Is your 12 in 6th grade this year or already changing classes? My daughter started 7th grade this last august. Like you child she performs well in school, but has weak social skills. last april i phoned the middle school to set up a meeting with her future counselor. I requested to come to school with my daughter before the new school began to receive her class schedule, walk to each class and hold a mini meeting with all her new teachers. he set our walk thru up for the day before 7th grade orientation. Before the day arrived, I make copies of her existing IEP and fashioned a one page outline listing first my daughters challenges and then what we needed from the teachers. I put my email and phone number on the outline. When that day arrived, my daughter and I first went in to meet with the counselor. He reviewed her class schedule and made a entire new schedule for her. he handpicked teachers who he believed would be the best fit for my daughter and then he designed the classes to be either close together or have a break in between to aid in her making it to her next class on time. I originally requested no p.e. but the school psych suggested we give it a go because it has been her experience that it has worked well for some to have social time in a structured setting. We got the new schedule and then walked to her first class and met with her first teacher. I gave her the outline and iep and encouraged her to contact me regularly. I gave her my mini speech—taking about 5 minutes of her time then walked to the next class. We were able to meet with all but one teacher. Many of the teachers expressed their appreciation to know this about my daughter and believed it would be helpful to know. I spent extra time with her pe teacher because of my many concerns from dressing out to physical limitations. I was pleasantly surprised how receptive all the teachers were and grateful for the counselor, for his thoughtfulness and willingness to make her class changes. My daughter has managed surprisingly well at school. She has made it on time to all her classes, her grades are good. she is learning this year how to ask her teachers for what she needs. I have had to do a little follow up reminders with some teachers but things are improving. So far all is well except her social skills. she has made no friends. she is not getting social support services, although I have an iep meeting up coming nov. 20. My experience with the iep is that they are nice to have but offer no guarantee. if you have accommodating teachers and counselors, that goes a lot further. I am sure I have left out details, but good luck to you. Regards, melody kalomiris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 2009 Report Share Posted November 11, 2009 I really appreciate your input and encouraging words. I'm sure she will do better than I expect, but calling the cousnelor ahead of time is a very good idea. I will definately do that. Her school district does have an alternative learning class, however, there are a lot of suicidal teenagers and also kids with anger issues in this class and I am very afraid she will be influenced by them as she wants to be accepted so very badly. She is interested in playing basketball and I thought we would give it a go, and then she could have some social interaction and possibly be included with at least one group of kids at school. It is very heartbreaking to watch your child struggle with the social skills. She wants to be accepted and just doesn't understand why people pick on her. Thank you, Cheryl > > Is your 12 in 6th grade this year or already changing classes? > > > > My daughter started 7th grade this last august. Like you child she performs > well in school, but has weak social skills. last april i phoned the middle > school to set up a meeting with her future counselor. I requested to come > to school with my daughter before the new school began to receive her class > schedule, walk to each class and hold a mini meeting with all her new > teachers. he set our walk thru up for the day before 7th grade orientation. > > > > > Before the day arrived, I make copies of her existing IEP and fashioned a > one page outline listing first my daughters challenges and then what we > needed from the teachers. I put my email and phone number on the outline. > > > > When that day arrived, my daughter and I first went in to meet with the > counselor. He reviewed her class schedule and made a entire new schedule > for her. he handpicked teachers who he believed would be the best fit for > my daughter and then he designed the classes to be either close together or > have a break in between to aid in her making it to her next class on time. > I originally requested no p.e. but the school psych suggested we give it a > go because it has been her experience that it has worked well for some to > have social time in a structured setting. > > > > We got the new schedule and then walked to her first class and met with her > first teacher. I gave her the outline and iep and encouraged her to contact > me regularly. I gave her my mini speech-taking about 5 minutes of her time > then walked to the next class. We were able to meet with all but one > teacher. Many of the teachers expressed their appreciation to know this > about my daughter and believed it would be helpful to know. I spent extra > time with her pe teacher because of my many concerns from dressing out to > physical limitations. > > > > I was pleasantly surprised how receptive all the teachers were and grateful > for the counselor, for his thoughtfulness and willingness to make her class > changes. > > > > My daughter has managed surprisingly well at school. She has made it on > time to all her classes, her grades are good. she is learning this year how > to ask her teachers for what she needs. I have had to do a little follow up > reminders with some teachers but things are improving. So far all is well > except her social skills. she has made no friends. she is not getting > social support services, although I have an iep meeting up coming nov. 20. > My experience with the iep is that they are nice to have but offer no > guarantee. if you have accommodating teachers and counselors, that goes a > lot further. > > > > I am sure I have left out details, but good luck to you. > > Regards, melody kalomiris > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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