"The Orientation" Part 4

We are on to #4 in this blog series, if you haven't read the previous here are the links.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

#4: Get some type of organizational system in place for paperwork. There will be all kinds of paperwork. School paperwork, evaluations, therapy notes etc. On any given week I am bombarded with papers about Emma & this was even more extreme in the beginning of our journey.  I started things out with piles of paperwork in 10 different spots & I always felt like I was digging for important things  before appointments. Finally after a "ah ha moment" (which I have referenced HERE) I decided changes needed to be made and there needed to be something in place to help me stay on top of everything.
I got a small accordion file to start, they are in the dollar spot at Target. This file is just for Emma. We have tabs for: Medical, Developmental/mental health, Occupational Therapy, Education & Receipts. In the front I have a folder with her Insurance cards, any notes/questions for upcoming appointments and a list of current medications & dosages.  I found when I started using this I felt more in control & doctors/assessors/therapist seemed to take me more seriously. I wasn't {as} frazzled and sitting trying to remember information that they were asking for - I had it with me. Emma's file goes to EVERY single appointment we attend, I also recommend keeping a small notebook with it as well. I always makes sure to jot down notes from appointments for reference.

My super cute chevron file from Target dollar spot!! It's my constant companion - from parent teacher conference to medical appointments! 

There are a lot of other organization tips/tricks I have and use to keep things running smoothly, but this was and is still my most valuable tool for our home.

If you have any questions or need ideas for organizational tricks for your home I am happy to answer emails - utaheasy2love@gmail.com. You can also visit an old blog post Jen & I did with the systems we use in our homes HERE.

We only have 2 more posts to go in our series! Stay tuned for Part 5 - Self Care!

Lindsay 

Visual Schedule Workshop!

We are SO excited to be able to put on this amazing event!

WHY: When your child was diagnosed or looking at diagnosis, did you get a list of books that were penned as "the must read". We sure were. I remember having 3 or 4 books at a time that I "needed" to read. Realistically most of us do not have time to not only read but then figure out how to make it work into our family and routine. This is putting those 300+ pages into a pretty compact and easy to understand package.

WHAT: We have the amazing Lori Krasney from the Children's Center presenting. She is going to talk the logistics. What is a visual schedule. Why they work for special needs kids. How to implement them into your family. After she does her presentation we will have a yummy brunch and then have all the supplies and instruction on how to put it together so you can get started right away implementing it into your life.

Boom - 3 hours for what could take 6 months to read and then put together (for me anyway :)

COST: If you register BY August 10th you can get the reduced early registration fee of $35.00. After August 10th it will be $45.00. We do have limited scholarships available, if you are interested in applying for that please email us and we will get you the information.
You can send a check or money order to
PO BOX 581215
SLC, UT 84158

We can also do credit card payments over the phone (a $2 service charge applies).

What does the cost include?
*A professional guest speaker/instructions on visual schedules
*Q&A with Lori
*Brunch
*All the supplies and instruction to put together your own schedule to take home.

If you have any questions please feel free to email or call.
utaheasy2love@gmail.com
801-532-4331

We hope to see a lot of you there!!
Lindsay

Parent Teacher Communication Log

As I mentioned in the previous blog, I am a little freaked out about Kindergarten. Emma was tested before summer by the school district and we found that she is a pretty behind academically, we also have some fine motor & sensory issues that need to be addressed. We thankfully easily got an IEP set up for her so that she will have all the resources she needs to succeed. That being said, I want this to be a positive and fun experience for her and one that goes as seamlessly as possible. I have been brainstorming and pinteresting ideas to help. A lot of 'Parent Teacher Communication Logs' popped up in my search. Some were printables, binders etc. I didn't love any and they seemed like they would makes things more complicated. I remember Jen had a simple notebook for back and forth with Hudson & decided that was the way I would go. Simple. But of course, I have to make things not as simple :) I decided to make it girly & cutesy - because a little fluff never hurt anyone!

 

Supplies:
Composition Notebook (ridiculously cheap right now)

Scrapbook paper & coordinating stickers
Modge Podge
Sponge brush
Pen (I used a fine tip sharpe to write over modge podge)

 

I cut the paper to size and then modge podged it down. I decorated the way I wanted and then covered with a thin coat of Modge Podge. I also covered the front inside cover that was full of useless info (ya know.. math formulas & such) with a coordinating paper. On that inside covered I filled it with my contact info and some fun little facts about Miss Emma.

 

What I will use it for: Little notes back and forth with both her Kindergarten & resource teacher. They can send me concerns, good days, upcoming info etc. & I can do the same.

Stay tuned for more "Back to School" projects!

 

Lindsay