Kyle's IEP & Work Day ONE

Yesterday -- was Kyle's IEP (individual education plan) for next year.  I must admit to being quite discouraged and a little down afterward.  Kyle won't qualify for the Transition Academy, because he isn't independent enough.    Which I kind of knew, but I hoped would be different.  Since his surgeries and leukemia scare two years ago, he has become more dependent.

 

To qualify for the Transition Academy you have to be able to follow instructions -- yes, he's able, but willing is an entirely different matter -- communicate, where verbal communication is ideal, but consistently using a communication device is acceptable too -- and here again, he's able, but he's not always willing.

 

So basically his teacher said, "Kyle, you are capable of so much more, if you would just try."

 

There's the upshot -- JUST TRY -- and this is where I've failed!  I have babied him too much.  He's "the baby" of the family, but he's also been "babied" a lot because he's been sick for much of the past five years.  So in addition to Down syndrome, he's been allowed to be less than he could be, by parents, siblings, and everyone else who loves him and gives in when he turns his "puppy-dog" eyes on them. 

 

I was trying so hard to not be discouraged -- but I really, really was.  I read in a book, this thought by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "If God can from time to time tell His prophets to wait, He surely can and will tell us the same thing.  On those occasions, the most courageous stand we can take is just that -- to stand, to be patient, to be still, to believe that there will be victory and even if the victory is not to come now.  Be of good courage.  The Lord will strengthen thy heart."

--For Times of Trouble

By Jeffrey R. Holland

 

Love that thought....and it helped me to let go of a dream.  In reality, my hopes and dreams for Kyle are different than God's.  He is doing fine!  Being back at the High School will give him some stability and they will work harder on the independence skills, because the final outcome is for Kyle to be capable of working in a job.

 

Which brings us to his job at the Fire Sation.  I expressed my concern to Colleen (Kyle's teacher), that since Kyle got the "royal treatment" last week at the Station, that he might not understand that he had a job to do, and might want to enjoy the "royal treatment" again.  She assured them that wasn't the focus.

 

Today I got a call from Miss Carol -- Kyle's job coach.

This was her report....

"Kyle had a great day at the Fire Station.  Firefighter Gary waited to go off duty until Kyle got there.  Gary gave Kyle a Redmond Fire ball cap and t-shirt... "

 

I will just insert here -- that Kyle has wanted those two items for a very long time!

 

 

 

"...then we found a broom and Kyle choose a truck bay, and we swept it out.  He looked at me a couple of times and wiped his brow, but kept working...."

 

"...Kyle vacuumed  the living quarters -- except the bedrooms, he doesn't go in those."

 

"....when he was finished vacuuming, we had about 15 minutes left and Miss Debbie, who has an ongoing project, made that project Kyle's.  She assembles packets that the Firefighters take with them when they do presentations at the schools.  Kyle put together 30 packets in 15 minutes.  Debbie gave him one to take home because he did such a good job.

 

When we got back to the school, Kyle ran into the classroom and jumped on Mr. R. and Wooo-Hoo'd all over the place because of his new shirt and hat.  But he was so mature and focused at the Fire Station."

 

This gave me such a happy lift!  Kyle is capable of learning and doing a job, and his teachers and staff at the school will do all they can to help him.  So whether at the High School or at the Academy, he will achieve and he will be successful!

 

"....stand, be patient, be still, believe that there will be a victory even if the victory is not to come now.  Be of good courage.  The Lord will strenghten they heart."