Macie's First "Report Card"

It's actually called "Report of Progress on Annual Goals".
The purpose of the report is to describe the IEP (individual education program) goal update process that they use across the district.

I wish our scanner worked, would be so much easier than typing it all out, but I am too proud to not share right away :-)


Goal #1:  By Jan. 2012, Macie will match any 5 identical items (e.g. inset puzzles, toys, objects, or pictures across 4/5 attempts
Report of Progress:  Completed!!!
Additional comments:  Met for a variety of objects and pictures.

By Sept. 2012, Macie will sort similar colors and shapes for 10 different colors or shapes give models (e.g. given re, blue, and green bowls and a pile of re, blue, and green bears, the child sorts the items by color) across 4/5 attempts
Report of Progress:  Making expected progress!!!


Goal #2:  By Jan. 2012, Macie will search for missing or corresponding toy or parts of a set for 5 items or sets (e.g. a puzzle piece, a ball for a drop in toy, a bottle for a baby doll) across 4/5 play occasions.
Report of Progress:  Completed!!!
Additional Comments:  Met for preferred puzzles, baby doll activities, a ball for a drop toy, nesting cups, and matching activities.

By Sept. 2012, Macie will assemble toys and independently play with toys that have multiple parts for 5 different sets of materials (i.e. Mr. potato head, Little People sets, cooties bugs, etc.) across 4/5 play occasions
Report of Progress:  Making expected progress!!!


Goal #3:  By Jan. 2012, Macie will imitate 1 gross motor movement when prompted "do this" (e.g. clap hands, raising arms, rolling fists, patting lap, stomping feet) across 4/5 occasions.
Report of Progress:  Completed!!!
Additional Comments:  Met for clapping hands, rolling fists.

By Sept. 2012, Macie will imitate 20 multi step movements of any type (fine, gross, imitation with objects, imitation with people) across 4/5 occasions.
Report of Progress:  Making expected progress



Goal #4:  By Jan. 2012, Macie will identify 5 novel pictures of common objects, preferred toys, actions or people with 80% accuracy given fading, visual, or verbal cues.
Report of Progress:  Not making expected progress  :-(

By Sept. 2012, Macie will identify (find ___, give me___, point to___) 15 novel pictures of common objects, preferred toys, actions, or people in a field of 2-3 pictures with 80% accuracy given fading visual, or verbal cues.
Report of Progress:  Not making expected progress  :-(
Additional comments:  First introduced receptive skills with photos of family members.  We will continue the task but switch to pictures of functional items that she uses every day.

I talked with her teachers' about this, and they feel Macie knows who we are, but they get the feeling that she is not understanding why she should have to tell them something she already knows.  This is also a large component to communication, and she's definitely struggling in this area.


Goal #5:  By Jan. 2012, Macie will use verbal (i.e. single word utterances), or nonverbal language (i.e. signs, PECS) to mand (request) during classroom routines or activities at least 5X a day for 3 consecutive days given fading adult visual or verbal cues.
Report of Progress:  Completed!!!
Additional Comments:  Met for at lease 5X when PECS book is placed in front of her, primarily at a learning session and at snack.  Taking ownership of her book and carrying it around is an emerging skill.

By Sept. 2012, Macie will use verbal, or nonverbal language to mand during classroom routines or activities at least 20X a day for 3 consecutive days.
Report of Progress:  Making expected progress!!!



Goal #6:  By 9/12 Macie will demonstrate the ability to sustain in visual attention to hold scissors and paper in a thumb up position to cut within 1/4 inch of a line with visual prompts.
Report of Progress:  Making expected progress!!!
Additional Comments:  Macie picks up small loop scissors independently and maintains functional scissor grasp after occasional physical assistance.  She cuts on 3-4 inch lines on construction paper strip.


Goal #7:  By 9/12 Macie will make progress toward coordinating movements to perform complex tasks by demonstrating the ability to sustain visual attention and body awareness to use a mature grasp pattern when holding a writing tool to imitate then copy vertical, horizontal and circle writing strokes with visual prompts.
Report of Progress:  Making expected progress!!!
Additional comments:  Macie is doing well with imitating vertical and horizontal lines.  Imitating circle is emerging, she continues to work on consistent closed circles.  Macie also continues to work on consistent functional grasp on the writing tool.


We are definitely very pleased with the progress Macie has made in the short time (4 months) that she has been in school.

Daddy's and their Daughters

I was surfing the internet last week, and I ran across THIS list.  It's a great list, and it should be followed by every Man that has a daughter.  There are so many good, and important points in there.  #15 really touched me a lot, and I will tell you why.....
In 1975, when my Dad was just 30 years old, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease.  I was only two at the time, and my brother was six.  On the Thanksgiving following his diagnosis my Mom was told that my Dad only had about five months to live.  I can not even begin to imagine what she went through after hearing that.  Had to be devastating!  After receiving surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, my Dad miraculously beat the cancer.  He went into remission until the cancer showed up again in 1982.  He went through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation again, and he beat the cancer again.  He has been in remission since then, and has dealt with many more health issues as well.  My Mom has also had some pretty serious medical issues/scares, and I would swear they both have 9 lives each!  It's said "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger", and they are proof of that!
Fast forward to July 1st, 2006- my wedding day!!  I was 33 when I got married, and I am pretty sure we were all convinced I was never going to find "Mr. Right".  While planning the wedding, we were working on all the dances that would take place.  My Dad is pretty quiet for the most part, and does not like being fussed over, or being the center of attention.  After Phil and I talked about it, I called my Mom and told her we were thinking of doing the Father/Daughter dance, and the Mother/Son dance as a combined dance.  We figured if all four of us were on the dance floor together, there wouldn't be so much attention focused on my Dad.  I should also mention that he was a little nervous at that time since he had a bit of a limp from his hip replacement.
My Mom brought the idea up to my Dad that day.  When she told him our "plan", he got very quiet.  My Mom asked him what was wrong.  He told her that he was really looking forward to that dance with me because the last time he went in to remission his Dr. told him "you are going to live long enough to dance with your daughter at her wedding.".   Needless to say, my Dad and I had the dance floor all to ourselves for that very special dance that his Dr. promised him 24 years prior!

**I forgot to tell you to have a tissue handy for this post**