My Daughter's Progress

If you have been reading my blog you know that I have been frustrated with the schools lack of attention to my daughter's needs.
I have also requested her to be observed by one of the Community Service Agencies involved with my case during a spelling test. I find it amusing that following that request all of a sudden they have jumped on board with the multi-sensory instruction for my daughter! This week she has been able to spell about four of her ten words consistently for three days. For my daughter that is a huge achievement because she lacks the ability to retain the words and to decode them using their sounds. Even if she is just memorizing the sequence (and not knowing the words because of how they sound),  her being able to do that is still a step up from where she was last week.
The school has insulted me and made me feel inadequate and even wrote in my daughter's report card "I am afraid that she isn't getting enough attention at home". That was the reason that they chose to use to explain Piper's difficulty in reading. When it comes to being a good mom trust me I already am filled with self-doubt and constant fear that I am not good enough for my kids! I don't need someone else to tell me that to feel it. I felt like her teacher should come home and work with Piper for the excruciating hours of time it takes for her to get through her spelling words, only to have her not be able to remember them the next morning! Now that I have had an independent evaluator back me up on Piper's OBVIOUS phonological processing issues as well as attention issues the school has FINALLY begun to realize that her needs go much father then "lack of attention at home!" (Quite the opposite Piper receives the most attention due to her difficulties and no matter how much we worked it never felt like we were getting anywhere).
Anyway, the point to this story is to say that although Piper is still having difficulties with reading and spelling she has been able to memorize 4 out of her 10 spelling words and recite them to me without any help except for a little hint as to the sound the next letter might make (occasionally). This proves all along that the multi-sensory approach, as well as other services, are right for Piper.
As much as I try not to get angry at the teacher for the rude comments that she has made throughout the school year (basically saying Piper wasn't practicing enough, or paying enough attention, or blah blah blah ....), it is even more emotional now knowing that the whole time I was being blamed by them and blaming myself that it is obvious that this is no one's fault. It really is sad that I do not like my daughter's teacher and I am not seeming to be able to get over that at this moment, because me wanting to yell at her isn't in my daughter's best interests!
I have another I.E.P meeting coming up in March it is to amend her I.E.P to include educational goals as well as behavioral and emotional goals to the sad I.E.P they gave her previously. I had to fight just to get the I.E.P in the first place. My daughter is about a year behind academically then the rest of her class!
On the advice of another parent in a similar situation I am also getting an occupational therapy and functional behavioral assessment done and when the results of that are in we will see what her needs are and where she is at.

For right now the school finally giving her the services she needs it is helping a lot and they are actually doing it prior to the I.E.P meeting. However, I am a little suspicious that they started it now that I wanted her to be observed in the school setting. Oh well. My daughter deserves it and I am glad she is getting it now and that she will be after the I.E.P meeting.