Life Beyond IEPville
by Ann Nobis

Did you ever think there could be more of a challenge than being involved every year in developing your child’s IEP?  Just when you have down the process; the lingo; the how tos of getting what your child needs; the roles of all the people involved; and the assurance that the IEP will actually be followed…graduation time comes and you are thrown into a whole new land!  BAM!  You’ve moved from IEPville to ISPville.

Get yourself some thick notebooks along with multiple dividers and a copier (or better yet, make that a three-in-one printer, copier and fax machine).  A dictionary of all the new terms and acronyms would be nice too. (Too bad there isn’t one).  Don’t forget a special place for all the business cards of names, addresses and titles.  Set aside additional hours in your already busy week to fill out never ending forms and return phone calls only to get caught up in the perpetual maze of voicemail options.

Graduation for my daughter was June of 2000.  It has been seven years and I am just beginning to “get it”.  Between Medicare, Medicaid, the Waiver, ISP, SSI, SSDI, OMRDD, DDSO, VESID, OPTS, CSS-SD, RCIL, Res. Hab, Day Hab., Respite, Benefit Cards, Voc. Counselor, Service Coordinator, Support Broker, Job Coach, Skills Trainer, CDTA-STAR (to name just a few), I feel as if I have earned another Master’s Degree, although I am not sure what I’d call it!

Transition planning for our children is supposed to happen as part of the IEP sometime around 13 years of age according to the “rules”.  I do have to say that there was an attempt made for my daughter back then, but as I look back now it did nothing to prepare her or me for the “real” world.  The teachers who assisted us had no more an idea of what was involved than I did.  Agency people came in to meet with us.  Their efforts were appreciated, but so many agencies, so many people and no real coordination.  Many years and numerous service coordinators later… it is finally coming together (I think).

The good news is, as I hear it, that the State is putting together a grant to help school districts support children transitioning out into the real world.  Haven’t heard yet of the when, where, or how this will happen, but I hope it will be helpful.  We don’t need more complicated challenges as we help our children enter and participate in the adult world.

To be continued…