Now that it’s New Year’s and the school year resumes tomorrow… it’s time to start thinking ahead to what’s coming down the pike.

We already know that the Monster’s new IEP meeting is going to be in February.  The school district wants to make their ESY recommendations before March, and while his fifth birthday’s not until May, we’re going to be requesting (and, according to his school coordinator, likely getting) ESY services.  The only wrinkle in the plan that was already provided to us is that his speech therapist isn’t available on the date that they already slotted us for, so we’ll be getting in touch with them for a new date.

He has been more resistent to getting his supplemental work done over the break – we’re going to have to try to get him confined to the table for a bit today to work a bit on it to get him back into school mode.  Tomorrow is going to be a challenge when we start imposing structure again with the bussing.

On the speech front, we’re noticing a few new emerging patterns – he’s being insistant about some of the things he wants, though the verbal constructions are a little more round-about than we’d like.  This morning is a good example, when we put on the Tournament of Roses Parade, and he wasn’t in the mood to watch – he started insisting, “How about more Sesame Street?”  We’re still seeing too much of “Can I have more, please”, but he’s more easily being coaxed into the specific want of the moment, be it eating or drinking.  I’ll probably fling his teachers an email tonight to let them know how we’ve been doing over break.

And… so far today, we haven’t had a miss when it comes to the toileting.  He was dry when he woke and went straight away, and when he needed to go a little later, he came to the gate (he was playing in the kitchen) and made it clear that he needed to go, even if he didn’t say it verbally.  (This will likely be added to his IEP for next year, since we weren’t apparently specific enough about it…)  We’ll see how well it goes for the rest of the day…