need help on IDEA and qualification for early intervention

February 28, 2002

Ok, I'm very confused about some things I had to deal with today.

First, my daugther just turned 2. Now here is my problem. Today we

had a 2nd evaluation through our early intervention program. They

chose not to evaluate speech because 1)Kaeli was just evaluated by

an outside, private therapist one month ago, and 2) the therapist

said she would be " overstepping " her ethical boundaries to do an

evaluation on child that is already receiving services. The problem

is that without the evaluation they don't consider Kaeli eligilble

for assistance under part C of IDEA.

The reason they say she doesn't qualify is 1) on the evaluation that

was done a month ago by an outside evaluator, Kaeli was not 25%

delayed (she was 23 mos and scored at an 18 mo level, she needed to

be at a 17 mo level) However, the therapist felt that Kaeli

presented with enough characteristics of dyspraxia that she

recommended services. She wrote the diagnosis down as verbal

dyspraxia. 2) The site coordinator said that the diagnosis can't

qualify her for services because they don't recognize dyspraxia as a

disorder. And, the speech therapist said that she didn't feel that

a therapist could diagnose dyspraxai anyway and certainly not at

this age. She told me the only person that could correctly diagnose

apraxia is a neurologist.

I'm extremely frustrated about all this and need to know what my

rights are, if any. They did say that I could have Kaeli's

therapist do ANOTHER evaluation and if Kaeli is still at an 18 mo

level THEN she will qualify under IDEA because she will then have a

25% delay. I do plan to follow that route but it seems so

assanine!!! I mean the therapist that will do the evaluation just

evaluated her 1 month ago and has been treating Kaeli for 2 wks.

Just Tuesday she said that she didn't think there would be any

problem with Kaeli qualifying this time. Oh, and at the evaluation

one month ago, Kaeli had a 37 point standard score difference in

expressive and receptive skills. I thought just a 30 pt difference

would qualify a child in most states.

I'm just so upset I could scream. I've already cried a river of

tears and that's not doing any good. How can they ignore that my

child obviously has a problem with communicating? I know she's

receiving services at least, but the financial burden is going to

start taking it's toll soon if I don't get some help.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Bridget

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