Anticipatory Anxiety

My son's IEP is in just under 90 minutes. The anticipatory anxiety I am feeling is almost overwhelming. I just took a xanax (rarely have a need for those anymore!) and am hoping that my heart will stop pounding and my hands will stop shaking soon.

Things shouldn't be this hard.

I hate feeling like I have to "prove" to these teachers that my son does not deserve to be classified as a "bad child" or a "behavior problem" simply because he's Autistic. I am not one of those parents who is blind or oblivious to the faults and/or weaknesses of her child. I'm totally - PAINFULLY - aware of the areas in which he struggles. He is a good kid, though - he loves school and enjoys learning and he is entitled to benefit from a regular-ed classroom with teachers who are supportive, tolerant and patient. I hope that their attitude towards him is just because they aren't knowledgeable about Autism spectrum disorders and that, once they learn a little about kids like my son, they will open their minds a bit and be more understanding and accepting. If they are not, however, I hope that the principal will work with me to find a more appropriate classroom for him. He deserves to be viewed by his teachers as an asset to his class - not as a burden. (Thank you, Kerry, for so effectively putting that into words for me!)