Being a Voice

I had the opportunity on Thursday and Friday this past week to do conferences with my students' parents. As I led these IEP meetings or spoke on behalf of my students I was reminded of how important my job truly is. 

An advocate, is a person that publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. As a Moderate/Intense teacher I am an advocate for my students. As a professional I need to grow in my ability to be more tactful and not so forceful, but I am passionate about what I do and who I do it for. I had 2 parents request for their children to repeat their 5th grade year, so they could stay in elementary for one more year. That says something to me about what I do in my class for my students and the staff at Stranahan Elementary. My students are loved, accepted, welcomed, and apart of these general ed rooms. Along with that in these students daily curriculum they are made to feel part of the school community through doing jobs like office deliveries, putting out cones to keep the playground safe, and other special task that help make Stranahan Elementary a safe and great place to be. In Sylvania Schools, I truly believe Stranahan Staff loves the moderate/intense population and embraces these kids in general ed classes and calls my students their own. A first grade teacher said to me, "Our class is not complete without your student." You don't find that welcoming, accepting attitude in all elementary schools, trust me.

I now am switching roles and am navigating what it will be like adovacting as a parent to a child with special needs. It is different, and if possible my passion and love is intensified ten fold because I am now talking about my own child. I have joked with my special ed coordinator that if she is still in this position when Oscar gets to school I will try and not be a pain. I have also learned that in the district I work for, parents are given a lot of say in what they want for their child especially if their child has an IEP. I tell you this because if you are a parent of a child on an IEP you get to have an opinion in what your child's education looks like in a public school setting. You are part of the IEP team for your child. In a public school it is our job to provide your child with a Free Appropriate Public Education, so Moms, Dads, and Guardians go into those IEP meetings knowing you have a voice, a strong voice, to say what you want for your child's eduction. In Ohio, the resource book we use is A Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education. This book is also translated into a variety of different languages here.

If you are a parent of a child with special needs, Trisomy or not, please feel free to contact me. I am happy to help you and your child if I can. I most definitely don't have all the answers, but I have had the opportunity to be the teacher on the other side of the table. I taught General Ed 5th grade my first year, Moderate/Intense for 2 years, Mild/Moderate for 1 year, and then Moderate/Intense for the past 5 years. I have served students with needs in the area of LD, ID, HI, OHI major, OHI minor MD, AU, and ED. I am here if you need help navigating the world of special education it can be intimidating. 



Now to switch gears and talk about our Oscar. We had an OB appointment this past Thursday and I had my first NonStress Test. It came back beautiful and everything looked normal. Oscar's heart rate maintained an average of 145bpm for the 20 minute test. Along with that my belly is the size it should be measuring at 32 weeks pregnant. We have a few big appointments coming up over the next 3 weeks.

• November 2 - we will go to C.S. Mott Children's in Ann Arbor for a heart surgery consult for Oscar
• November 7 - we will go to Nationwide Children's in Columbus for another heart surgery consult for Oscar
• November 15 - we will meet with the MFM team at Toledo Hospital and go over all the information from Mott and Nationwide and the induction plan will be created for Oscar's arrival.
• Along with that we will have NonStress Test each week and normal OB appointments for weeks 34 and 36.

Our prayer request over the next few weeks:

• That Oscar would keep growing stronger and bigger.
• We, but especially me, would have open ears to listen to the heart surgery consults and if I am not understanding something know how to communicate that as kindly as possible.
• For Theodore to continue to feel loved, safe, and secure with changes in his schedule and knowing Mom and Dad may be a little on edge, but that everything is okay.
• Brian and I would continue to communicate well. Your prayers have helped tremendously in this area. We are getting better at this especially when it comes to us expressing to each other what we each believe is best for Oscar and our family.

My best friend, Larisa, sent me this on Friday and it is so true. Much like Zacchaeus, the Lord knew about Oscar way before Brian and I even knew each other. The Lord had Oscar's doctors hand picked and helped them cross our path, so they could be there for him. The Lord knows our hearts and loves my son more than I do. He will meet Oscar's needs.
Jesus and Zacchaeus - Luke 19:1-10