Keeping track of Katlynn's ever expanding vocabulary

So I decided I am going to track in this post new things she says daily or at least weekly.

 9/29/10- "I want to go down stairs. C'mon Audrie let's go!"
10/05/10- "Hair pitty fall.  Put my hair pitty in." (she meant pretty because that's what I call it. She had it in her hand and gave it to me)
10/05/10- "Open da gate. I wanna play train table (waits for a minute then says) PPLLEESSEEE."
10/08/10- "Give it me, that's mine!"

Found an Older picture

She was still autistic here I believe, but I just didn't know it yet. 
Katlynn~2008 (10 months old) 

Advocating

Is....

A job a parent with a special needs child will do pretty much forever.  Might as well get good at it right?  Well, I think I am slowly but surely learning how to do this and do it right.  Learning what is right and wrong, all about placements and special education law.  In fact, by learning what I have with Katlynn has helped me catch a HUGE mess up on the school districts part for Halle's IEP.  .  However,  I am not out to be nasty, I am just advocating for my daughters rights.  For her future.  What a lot of these IEP teams don't get,  is "we" (the parents) are part of the team.  I have gotten countless apologies and them admitting to screwing up.  But does this make it okay?  Do they think I should just blow it off?  Well, I am sure they don't and they're right.  They will be walking on eggshells with me for the next few years.  I say that with a smile.  I guess they forgot it is a team effort and I am part of the team. While I don't want to ruin my relationship with the school staff, I want to make sure they are aware I am an actively involved parent.  I have heard from them time and time again how very few parents are.  That makes me sad to hear.  Is is really true that parents would not fight and advocate for your child's rights?  To know what is being taught to your child and how they are doing in the school setting or placement?  I just can't imagine it.  I can't but I know it is true and happens quite often.

Maybe that's why they thought they would get off easily with Halle.  They assumed I was one of those parents who just expected the school to teach my child and that's it.  They assumed, I didn't give a damn.  Ha... boy we're they wrong.  As I have said before,  I am nice until you mess with my kids and then I get ugly.

Communication is key.

I know I kind of went off topic since this is Katlynn's blog, but I figure a majority of the readers have children on IEP's.

The faces of katlynn..

She is so photogenic sometimes I can't help it.