Fall 2009 Progress Report

We recently received Abby's Progress Report for the Fall school season. They have 8 different categories and are graded for each age range (2-5) and are given grades as follows:

I - IEP (Individual Education Plan) Goal Area

P - Progressing

M- Mastered This Skill

Abby has Mastered everything in the 2 year old category, but is still being graded on a few things in the 3 year and 4 year category. Here are her "grades".

Social/Emotional

3 Years

• Stays with an activity for 5+ minutes = M (mastered)
• Begins to accept some correction/frustration = M (she still has a hard time with this at home)
• Actively seeks parallel play = M
• Begins to share and take turns = M

4 years

• Stays with an activity 10+ min. = M
• Follows class rules/routines = M
• Completes tasks in small groups (with 2-3 peers) = M
• Plays and interacts appropriately with 1-2 other children = P+ (though she ignores her brother a lot of the time... that's probably pretty typical)

Fine Motor

3 years

• Copies shapes (horizontal & vertical lines, circle) = M
• Builds a tower of 8+ blocks = M
• Strings 4 or more 1/2 inch beads = P+
• Undresses, attempts to dress = M

4 years

• Demonstrates hand dominance = M
• Cuts a straight line 4-5" = M (this is one of her favorite past-times)
• Copies shapes (circle & cross) = M-
• Draws a face with 3 clear features = M (her drawings are so cute)
• Puts on coast, shoes/boots = M (we'll have to start doing this at home more, she fights us at every turn and suggests, "How about mom does it?")
• Demonstrates mature pencil grasp = P+

Cognitive

3 years

• Matches colors and shapes = M
• Understands size (big/little) = M
• Counts 3+ objects = M
• Shows beginning knowledge of categories (food, toys, clothes, etc.) = M

4 years

• Names 9 colors (r,y,o,g,b,p,bl,br,w) = M
• Names 7 shapes = M- (I was surprised to see a minus on this one, because she can tell you all the basics at home, plus octagon, pentagon, & crescent)
• Recognizes name in print = M
• Counts at least 5 objects = M
• Sequences 3 pictures = M

Language

3 years

• Follows 2-Step, related directions = I (this is a big one to master for kindergarten success)
• Uses 3-5 words in sentences = M
• Names at least 25 common objects = M
• Answers simple "what" questions = M

4 years

• Answers questions about familiar stories = P+
• Tells use of common objects = M-
• Identifies actions in a picture = P+
• Understands spatial concepts (in, on, under, etc.) = I (we're working on this at home, too)

Gross Motor

(I'm going to skip this section, because thankfully she has mastered everything in both the 3 & 4 year areas)

School Readiness (all ages)

• Attends in a whole-group activity = P+
• Transitions from one activity to another smoothly = M
• Can do age-appropriate work/play independently = M-
• Entering/Exiting routines (ie. backpack, folder, coat, etc) = M
• Waits turn in a group activity = M
• Participates in all required activities = M

Sensory Registration

• Tolerates substances on hands/face (glue, cream, etc) = M- (she doesn't really like anything on her hands)
• Tolerates movement activity when feet are off the floor = M (this is an area we've really seen growth. She used to be so scared to be lifted off of the floor.)
• Tolerates being near others = M
• Moves through room safely = M
• Tolerates noise and light = P+ (she gets very nervous with loud sounds, despite the fact that she is often making more noise than anything else in a room)
• Eats variety of snacks, food & drink = M (I'd give her an M- at home)

Oral Motor

(has mastered all of these... appropriate tongue movement, lip movement, air control, etc.)

Her teachers comments: (anything in parentheses are my comments)

Abby has been doing so well this year so far! It is great to hear so much more language from her this year, and it is good to see her seeking more play with peers as well. (She asks things like, "Wanna play a game?" even if she doesn't follow through with the back and forth play so well) she has increased her counting skills as well as her knowledge of letter sounds- she is able to name all of the letters already and the sounds are coming along quickly! (she has been identifying her letters at home for a long time now) She continues to be a joy to have in class!

She continues to be a joy to have at home, too!

School and Some Small Miracles

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I really need to just schedule time to do this. Abby started school a week and a half ago. She is going in the afternoons this year and that has been a bit of an adjustment for us. She gets antsy waiting for the bus and I feel like it's near impossible to make plans for the rest of our day, because smack dab in the middle of it all, I have to be home to get her on the bus and then 3 hours later, be home to meet her off of the bus. I've already had to make 2 emergency calls. One to my father-in-law, "Can you hurry to our house (20 min away) to get Ab off the bus?" and one to the bus depot, "Can you switch up your route today and drop Abby off ten minutes later?" I was stuck in road construction which is EVERYWHERE right now. Ugh! I'm sure they just LOVE me. The frazzled mom, still in her pjs at 1 pm, helping her kid onto the bus. Or I'm running behind (as usual) and making everyone else work around it. Will I ever get it together?! I keep trying.


Well enough about me. Abby is doing great in school. She comes home happy each day. I really like her teachers and thankfully, so does Abby. She talks about them at home quite often. She likes to say that she is going to go on a picnic with them and then list what foods she'll take. I mentioned in my last quick post that she's been babbling talking a lot lately. Most of the time it's AMAZING, but often it's the same story over and over and over again. Like the picnic. There are only so many times in a 2 hour span that I'd like to have that conversation, but if Ab's stuck in that storyline, we talk about it for two hours. At least.


We did have a communication exchange the other night that blew my mind! We were in their bedroom and I was about to change Bean's poopy diaper, when Abby said, "NO! It stinks! Better change it in the kitchen." Now for someone with typical kids, this isn't a big deal. It's a logical request (except that we don't change diapers in the kitchen normally). But for those of us who have been dying for some sort of communication from our children for a long time now, this is AMAZING!!!

She 1) expressed her opposition to the situation with words and without screaming, then she 2) expressed why she was opposed and then she 3) suggested a solution to the problem. I was thrilled! Now that is communication, Baby! And of course, Bean and I went into another room to change his diaper. YES! There appears to be a light at the end of this tunnel.

This last picture is of Abby's little brother, Bean, on Ab's first day of school. He was so upset. There was nothing I could do to make him happy that day. This photo was taken after I'd tried EVERYTHING and finally resorted to giving him his pacifier, blankie and put on a movie for him. He was so mad at me, I'm guessing he missed his sister, that he refused to come out of the doorway. He could see a sliver of the tv and this was as close as he would come to the living room... and me.

Directive?

We were talking about the movie, Wal-E the other night and I just randomly asked, "Directive?" quoting a line from the movie and Abby responded "Classified!" without missing a beat. Here's a couple little videos of her. She loves watching these. I should take video of her watching her videos. Too cute!

It's a Privilege!

Since starting school in January, Abby's behavior and general happiness levels have improved so much. Not that she was a miserable kid before, she just had so many more behavior outbursts, so one could assume that she wasn't as happy. School has been a Godsend! She attends Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) and LOVES it. The bus drivers comment often on what a pleasure it is to pick her up in the morning, because she always has a smile on her face and a happy squeal to greet them.


Well this morning was unlike any morning we've had since she's started school. She fought me at every turn this morning. I always try to give her 10- and 5-minute warnings as we go along. I've found that if she knows what to expect, she is more cooperative when the time comes to perform a task.

"Abby, it's almost time to get dressed. Just a few more minutes." I said.
"NO! I want to sit on the couch and watch tv!" she screamed.

What? Where did this come from?!


"Abby, it's time to get dressed." I said.
"NOOOOO!!!" she screamed, throwing her toy across the room and herself on the floor.
"It's time to get dressed. 1..... 2..... 3." I said, taking a deep breath.

The 1-2-3 count works like a charm in our house. It's as if it has some magnetic pull and resistance is futile. Back when the 1-2-3 method was first introduced in our house, if Abby didn't come at the count of "3" I went and got her. There was no "3.5" or "4". For instance, if I say "3" and she isn't standing in front of me, that means that I am going over immediately, picking her up and dressing her. End of story. With proper execution, the 1-2-3 count can be brilliant!

So back to this morning. She screamed "NOOOO!!!" at every menial task that must be done in the morning. You can imagine that how much fun I was having. (Perhaps now would be a good time to let you know that I am fluent in sarcasm.)

Now I'm used to Abby not wanting to do what she is told, but usually she can be talked into it knowing that school is the reward. But today, and it broke my heart, as I was putting on her jacket, she looked up at me with tear filled eyes and without screaming (for the first time this morning) said, "Wanna stay home." Ugh! I wanted to keep her home with me and snuggle on the couch watching cartoons all day! But instead I said, "Honey, you GET to go to school! School is a privilege. It will be so much fun. All of your friends are there."

This is my new thing. School is a privilege. It's not something we have to do. It's something we GET to do. How fortunate are we in this country?!! Sure, I can gripe about the quality of our schools (cough-Idaho-cough) but we get to go to school. And it's even more spectacular that Abby gets to go to school. There are plenty of countries where girls aren't allowed to go to school, let alone a little girl with special needs. We are really and truly blessed.


I'm so thankful for Abby's teachers and her school. I'm confident that Abby will have a bright future, with teachers and teacher's assistants along the way who care for her and care about her education. And I will be there every step of the way, reminding her of the privilege she is blessed with, and reminding them of the importance of their job and how much they are appreciated.

Now let me remind you that I am not a perfect parent. I lost my cool once this morning and told her to "shut up" rather than "be quiet" during a particularly aggravating scream.
Most of the morning, what I was really tempted to say yell was,
"Shut up and quit yer screamin'!
Get your butt dressed and get on that bus!
Mommies' got a nap to take and a blog to write!"
But I tried really, really hard to use encouraging words.
And this morning, I did a pretty good job.

In the end, so did Abby. She whined a little bit when she saw the bus, but she sucked it up and had a smile for the bus driver.

I hope she has a good day at school.