Liam's IEP progress meeting was Tuesday evening.  Prepare for a long(er) post.

Keep in mind that these goals were written to be met in one year's time.  He's been in school for almost five months.

Goal: Liam will demonstrate understanding of spatial and descriptive concepts by verbally labeling them.  Progress: Points to on/under and wet/dry. 

Goal: Liam will use short phrases to communicate a variety of functions to adults and peers in his environment.  Progress: With prompts, imitates 2 word phrases to comment.  Requests, initiates, and protests using 1 word. 

Goal: Liam will use word/intelligible word approximations to label a variety of objects, actions, activities, and people within preschool environment.  Progress: Labels 2+ words in each category.

Goal: Liam will complete 4 different fine motor tasks that will require him to use a skilled and stabilizing hand, use a pincer grasp, or use thumb, index, and middle finger to manipulate materials.  Progress: More willingness to use both hands, pincer emerging on right, still requires cueing and assistance with manipulation.

Goal: Liam will assist in putting his coat/backpack on and off and completing fasteners and practice scooping motion needed for using a spoon.  Progress: Using visuals to assist in routine of coat; shrugging off until caught on hands.

Goal: Liam will walk independently with his peers throughout the school environment and mark time up and down the steps with one hand support.  Progress: Walked independently to motor room, marked time up/down 6 steps with 1 hand support.

So.  That's what was written up.  Here's more on what they said for each thing.

He is using more and more 2 word phrases, and they're working on putting nouns and verbs together.  I often hear him using 2 word phrases that are descriptive, like Mommy's arm or blue car.  Over the summer, we're going to focus on nouns and verbs.

He knows everyone's name at school.  All the kids, teachers, everyone he interacts with on a daily basis.  He knows gym, library, bathroom, classroom.  He might not say those words but he knows them.

His fine motor skills are kind of in a stand still.  He still needs hand over hand assistance with unzipping, scooping, and needs lots of cueing and modeling for drawing lines.

He can shrug his coat off and take his backpack off over his head. 

He walks independently throughout the school, but he often doesn't keep up with the rest of the class–mostly because he's too busy stopping to say hi to everyone he sees.  They laughed and said he peeks his head in every class between his and the gym/bathroom/library to say hello.  He can walk up and down steps independently if he has a hand rail that he can reach.  They're going to start walking the big steps that go to the second floor because those are the only ones with a lower hand rail.

They noted that he does indeed know his letters, colors, shapes, numbers, and can count. 

He always follows the rules, doesn't have any behavioral issues, and does what is asked of him.  He's used to the routine and responds to visual prompts.  He takes his blue folder out of his backpack in the morning and puts it in the bin for the teacher.  He has his favorite activities–blocks, puzzles, and the housekeeping playset.  He shares and plays well with the other kids.

His teacher described him as kind and considerate, happy, and an absolute delight.  We all knew that already, right?