In my frustrated state of mind, I have decided to reach for a sport analogy in attempts to describe it.

Being part of an IEP team is a little like being part of a track team I think. After all, track is full of individuals competing, but their overall performance adds up to a team total, for the win or loss. This applies to an IEP team, made of up of different specialists with different talents (aka, the different individual track athletes) but if everyone does their best, the total equals up to a win for the student (and by connection the team)!

BUT if even ONE single team member blows off their event (aka, responsibility), their practices (i.e. treatment times) and ultimately the big meet (aka, the IEP meeting) we’re all left taking the loss and accepting the punishment!!!

So I have one specialist on my team who doesn’t seem to understand the concept of compliance, and fulfilling treatment minutes, and thinks, apparently, that IEP meetings are OPTIONAL??!! And this person blew off a big one this week, walking us right into the parents lawyering up! WHY??!! I am doing my best by this student as is every other specialist on the team, but ONE. So, to get back to my analogy, we’re now all running punishment laps while this one specialist is who knows where, probably sipping hot coffee and enjoying a sit down lunch!!!

Now, a lesser person would throw this person under the train….I am just waiting for that temptation to subside.

So I have spent my weekend fretting and worrying over the upcoming meeting, knowing that it is NOT my fault, and knowing exactly who to blame, but that doesn’t make me feel better. We are all under a microscope now and suffering the punishment.

Thank goodness for good wine and a supportive family!!