If you are in a district like mine, about 90% of the student's IEPs are due to be updated somewhere between late March and the end of May. Trying to coordinate these efforts amongst the whole team is exhausting. I have been in School System OT for about 22 years. Each year I think, it can't be any worse than last year. Every year I am wrong LOL. This year, I have had a massive influx of referrals of kids who need to be evaluated by the end of May as well. Most of these kids were born in 2020 fyi. Scary. I really can't process the implications of this quite yet to be honest. Having all of those IEPs to do, meetings to try and attend, testing and reporting to do, end of year events, and still trying to actually be a therapist can be overwhelming to say the least. I saw a meme this week that made me laugh out loud and I shared it on my social media.
It was from The Intentional IEP. The Intentional IEP Blog - The Intentional IEP
"When you're already dead but forgot to write the IEP that's due next week". I can relate to that so well this month ! I travel from school to school all over my county. I am constantly getting emails and texts about something that got deleted or that I forgot to do. I have struggled to keep up this year more than ever. I haven't felt at my professional best. This year I am adding in the stress of having my oldest graduating from High School to this mix. I had to take a deep breath and regroup. I had to put my own good advice as an OT to use in my own daily life. I even made an "IEP Survival Guide" product with a few organizational sheets and even self-care tips. Check it out on my Beacons site https://skillbuilders-ot.com/. These days there are lots of good resources out there on goal writing. Use them! If you are tired of your "go to" phrases and goals, find new ones that are already done for you. My eBook/Survival Guide includes several clickable links to resources. When I first started in School System practice, my resources and ability to network were little to none. If you have not heard of Schoolhouse OT...go check their site and membership option out. I have always wanted to have a community like that to learn from and get support from. It is an amazing community and resource. OT Schoolhouse - A place for School-Based Occupational Therapy Practitioners
I have to remind myself that every year it all gets done. The light at the end of the tunnel always appears. Breathe. Regroup. Keep going.
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