“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Elizabeth Stone

This is being a parent. This is what can get lost in the sterile IEP process and paperwork. This is why ignoring the parental perspective can lead to disastrous meetings and destroy relationships. The child is someone’s heart.

“Parents, all parents, attach to their children through dreams, fantasies, illusions, and projections into the future. ” Dr. Ken Moses

I did not understand how powerful these thoughts were until I was pregnant with my first child. While I consciously fought against projecting expectations on my child, I was surprised by how hard it was NOT to wonder and daydream about it. Family and friends didn’t help. It seemed like all anyone wanted to talk about was my child’s future. There was so much pressure.

These two emotions – unconditional love and hope for the future – are what walk into that initial IEP meeting with the parents. If acknowledged and respected, they can be the positive energy and motivation that drives the IEP forward. This must be our goal.