As a dad of autistic twins, I have been involved in many IEP meetings beginning when the twins (now 12 1/2) were three years old. (IEP means Individualized Education Program.)
I like to think of the IEP as a road map
Here is a recent guest post I wrote about using iPads to help kids with autism. It was published at ilearnproject.com Here is how the iLearn Project describes itself from their website:
The iLearn Project exists to equip families, educators, and school leaders to innovate using 21st century digital learning. We’re here to make your life easier by compiling and producing the latest research and tools. We’re not affiliated with any curriculum, software, or hardware providers. Our vision is to see Washington state lead the country in high test scores and low costs as a result of online and blended learning. The iLearn Project is a project of the Freedom Foundation.
Like many parents and educators we’re sold on the iPad as a learning tool. My wife and I believe that it’s hard to beat the iPad for learning programs for our sons with autism.
Our twin sons, diagnosed on the spectrum at the age of three, are 10 years old now and in mainstream classes. It was a long road to arrive here. When my wife and I successfully navigated the public school system and got them into mainstream kindergarten, we were so glad.
Then, we quickly realized that the boys were both suffering from major social- emotional skill deficits. They weren’t interacting at all with the other kids in their new mainstream class. We knew that we had more work to do to help them to develop social skills.
About the same time, a big ‘aha’