Help Along the way

Did I tell you I know a "Goddess"?  Well, not really but I do know a lady that was a "Godsend"..;-)

After Xavier aged out of Harwood, he had to go to our neighborhood school in Germantown , TN.

I was told to prepare for his first IEP meeting that I should check out some classes at a place called STEP. Inc.
I went on line to their website and the following Saturday I was at my local library to attend a free class on IDEA.

For those of you who don't know IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is, it is the BIBLE for parents with special needs children. It is basically the RULE book that any school that receives public funding has to follow when providing an education to our children.

The presenter that day was Jenness Roth. She went though all the basics of the law and was very accommodating and willing to answer questions, During the break, I approached her and told her why I was there. Afterwards, I helped her take her materials back to her car and we chatted there as well. She had two sons like me and they were close in age as well and one of her sons had autism.

I thanked her and she told me to call her if I needed any help.
As the weeks went by, I did not feel as confident as I should going into the first IEP meeting for Xavier,
I called Jenness up and asked if she would attend it with me and she agreed.

The meeting WENT South REAL FAST ..
First, I didn't realize that unlike Harwood, public school do not have the budget, staff, nor time to give Xavier the individualized care he had received and I had come to enjoy and could see progress with at Harwood.

Needless to say, I went " MAD BLACK MOMMA" FAST . They were willing to DO ANYTHING for him it seemed...

When I finally got into a yelling match with the Curriculum Coordinator when she said Xavier,who had NO language at the time,would have to attend a GROUP speech session once a week. Before I knew it I was like "Are you crazy, lady". Jenness, in her calm voice asked if we could take a break and we stepped outside.

Ok, let me be clear, I was seriously about to catch a case here yall.. LOL ! My blood was boiling!
But Jenness reminded me that the IEP meeting was not the end. She reminded me of the laws. That I didn't have to sign anything today that I did not agree with, but most of all I HAD TO CALM DOWN.
 
Once I was able to regain my composure, we went back into the meeting. I didn't get what I wanted that day, but with her help, Xavier got all the services he needed.

Her kind, comforting words that day started me on a path, where I would eventually have the privilege to work under her and with the entire STEP team.
There were many days in my work at STEP that I would attend an IEP meeting with a parent and like Jenness I would have to ask for a break and I reminded myself that I was in their shoes once. By the time she finished with me I had gained the nickname " The Mary Poppins of IEP meetings".. thanks to Staff member Steven Glowicki ......LOL!
 
STEP, Inc is what is commonly called a PTI (Parent Training Institute) there is one like it in every state,
The one for Georgia is called Parent to Parent and I have had the privilege of working there as well.
 PTI offer free training and guidance to parents who have special needs children. They are all funded through IDEA

Through working for STEP, my knowledge grew tenfold. I meet other mothers like Karen Harrison, Laurel Ryan, and Juwanda Mast who were not only getting the information that would help their own children, but passing it along to help others. The staff at STEP were more like family as many of the employees were parents of special needs children. It was during the time I worked here that I decided that I wanted to be a counselor with a specialty in counseling parents of children with special needs.
My love for sharing in the joys, heartaches and pains of parents on this special journey will never die.

Thank God I for the person whom has been nicknamed the "Goddess" and all of those mothers and staff members of PTI's.