My Doubly-Exceptional Child

I signed CJ's IEP yesterday, making his status as a special education student official. We had a really good meeting last week with one of his teachers, Craig and I, his Learning Specialist, the OT, psychologist and Special Education Coordinator. It was quite an impressive gathering and we had a great conversation about CJ's needs and how best to meet them.

The SPED Coordinator set the stage for the discussion by reviewing his evaluations. He was found eligible for services based on his Non-verbal Learning Disorder. He actually has what is known as a Dual Exceptionality, since he also qualifies as a gifted student. This can be helpful since he will be able to compensate for some of his weaknesses but also poses challenges since he can easily become frustrated and at times bored.

At this point, CJ is on track academically (yay, gifted) so most of the focus right now will be on his sensory issues. The OT was very pleased that he had been identified this young since it means that they can actually use therapy to rewire his system. This is pretty huge, in general SPED works on helps student to compensate for weaknesses, actually "fixing" them is not usually an option. It means that with aggressive work now, CJ should be able to function normally within a classroom setting. Resolving his sensory issues before any academic difficulties kick in will make handling them that much easier.

I have to say that I am incredibly happy with how CJ is doing at Stokes. His teachers are fabulous and have done an amazing job of meeting his needs in the classroom, even before any additional help has been put in place. Over the next week, CJ's services will start to kick in and hopefully we'll see him making even more progress.

Most importantly for us, CJ is also really happy. He has made great friends and enjoys his days with his teachers. The peace of mind that brings to Craig and me is truly priceless.