How many times have you thought to yourself; "We just need to get through this busy week and then we will be good." If you're anything like us that seems to be a constant thought process and our search for a "slow week" to "catch our breath" has left us empty-handed. Life seems to just be getting busier and busier as the world events around us seem to be more anxiety-inducing by the day. First of all, we want to remind you to take that second to catch your breath, you deserve it and your family will be better off for it. Secondly, we want to try and help your future self from a headache and a whole lot of stress, we know you won't have time for that.
While April does not seem like the time to think of the end of the school year we all know how quickly these next couple of months go. April showers bring May flowers and before we know it the bell will ring on your child's last day of the school year. If your child is in the class of 2022 that may be causing you some (or a lot of) anxiety. For many parents raising children with mental or behavioral health challenges, this may be the case for you.
If you do find yourself in this situation wondering what your child's life is going to look like post-graduation and you have been dreading that day approaching we highly consider you check out our tip sheet all about graduation. We partnered with Hune and the Peal Center to create this tip sheet as a guide for parents to know what to do, who to ask, and what their options are.
In the upper left corner, you will see a list of considerations that you can bring directly to your child's IEP team to ensure that you are all on the same page about your child's graduation. Below that is a clear first step that you can take to get this process started. Other things that you will find on this tip sheet are information on you and your child's rights, an introduction and explanation of the idea of "banking" your child's diploma, and some tips from parents and educational advocates.
The time is now to get this ball rolling with your child's IEP team and to decide if "banking" your child's diploma is the right decision for your family. If you need a nonjudgemental sounding board to help you navigate this important decision consider reaching out to our Family Support Partners at 570-664-8615 or Book a Time to Talk here.