Reply to comment

During last week's discussion on disability studies I got particularly interested in the notion of "the invisible disability."  As a result, I started thinking about learning disabilities and the particular role that a learning disability has played in my own life.  Even though I have come very close to overcoming my learning disability there are still times when I find myself reminiscing about my childhood years and the struggles that I faced as a "disabled child."  From elementary school till about the end of middle school I was very secretive and uncomfortable with the fact that the educational system had identified me as being "different" from my peers.  

Going back to last week when I started reflecting on my own history with a disability I started thinking about all those individuals (both family members and educators) that supported me during a time when I saw myself as being intellectually inferior to my classmates.  Of all my supporters I would have to say that my mother was and still is by far one of my biggest supporters.  For those of you that aren't familiar with the "special education" system there is one term that students with learning disabilities become very familiar with during their primary school years.  The term in question is "IEP."  An IEP stands for an Individualized Education Plan.  Most students that go through the special education system either get an IEP or a 504 Plan depending on their needs.  I myself had an IEP and had to meet with school administrators along with my parents for IEP meetings that were held twice a year.  During these meetings we would review my progress in school and decide whether or not the supplementary resources that I was receiving were meeting my needs.  At the end of each meeting my IEP would be revisited and possibly revised.  Anyhow, knowing how much I lovedddd (*please note my sense of sarcasm here) these rather formal meetings my mom e-mailed me a funny poem that Dr. Seuss had written about IEPs.  This was meant to cheer me up and get me motivated for yet another exciting IEP meeting ;)

Anyhow, here's the poem.  I hope you enjoy it:

Dr. Seuss on IEPs (1999)

"I do not like these IEPs

I do not like them, Jeeze Louise!
We test, we check,
We plan, we meet,
But nothing every seems complete.
Would you, could you like the form?
I do not like the form I see,
Not page 1, not 2 not 3
another change,
A brand new box,
I think we all
Have lost our rocks,
Could we all meet here or there?
We cannot all fit any where.
Not in a room, Not in a hall,
there seems to be no space at all.
Could you, could you meet again?
I cannot meet again next week.
No Lunch, no prop,
Please hear me speak.
No, not at dusk. No, not at dawn.
At 4 P.M., I should be gone.
Could your hear while all speak out?
Would you write the words they spout?
I could not hear, I would not write,
This does not need to be a fight.
Sign here, date there,
Mark this, check that,
Beware the students ad-vo-cat(e)
You do not like them,
So you say
Try again! Try again!
And you may
If you will let me be,
I will try again,
You will see
Say! I almost like these IEPs
I think I'll write 6,003
And I will practice day and night
until they say

You got it right"

Source: www.ldonline.org/article/Dr._Seuss_on_IEPs