After Middle School What's Next and How to Navigate Next Steps.....

If you are a parent of a special needs teen, you are probably wondering what the next steps are as the last year of middle school is in session. We are still trying to figure out what is happening behind the scenes in regards to special needs curriculum and how our son is being taught. Most  parents take this in stride and just let the teachers...teach. But what if you have a special needs autistic son whom learns things at his own pace and not in the way that is expected of him because of of his age, NOT his disability. 
  Thankfully we have an IEP meeting scheduled soon to discuss all of these aspects of his curriculum. As we are one month in already and still have a vague idea of how our son is being academically assessed or if at all. Sometimes we don't have an idea until the end of the school year or mid year because quite frankly we believe that is how public school districts want it. I can also be a devil's advocate and say maybe they don't have a choice in the matter and probably want to do more for most special needs children but their hands are tied, due to IEP compliance and/or what they are able to do within their financial means. 


  So, what's next? We are actively seeking other resources in regards to daily living skills and increasing our son's math skills because how else does one make a living as an adult if you don't know how to count and count correctly? What about social aspects in navigating who to trust and not to trust in any situation personal or otherwise? Sometimes the list seems so long and unending in how to navigate what to do next. But we keep on advocating and speaking up for our son's sake and for our sanity. Until you walk a mile in our shoes, you cannot begin to understand the day to day struggles of just making sure he does not feel 'invisible' and valued.