Please forgive this 'stupid question'

December 6, 2008

I have gone to wrightslaw.com and I even have the book, " from

emotions to advocacy " which someone reccomended to me. I have been

very proactive with my son's therapy, school, ECI services, etc. He

turned 3 in September, though, and I am completely lost and

overwhelmed. I tried searching on the group for answers, but it

seems like all of the parents here are so far ahead of me in

understanding education law and advocacy that my question will seem

ridiculous (or even worse that I am too apathetic or 'lazy' to do

the work to find the answer). BUT, here goes nothing...

What does the law say (if anything) about the amount of time between

the school district's evaluation and the ARD? My son turned 3 on

Sept 13.... Everything seemed so surpirsingly pleasant and even

helpful during our evaluation, but now that I am pulling my head out

of the sand and realizing, oh my goodness, my son has been 3 for

almost 4 months now and we are nowhere with this I am getting

terrified. I know most of you are shaking your heads at how I could

let it get to this point, but please keep in mind that I had never

even heard the words 'independent evaluation' until I tried to find

the answer to this question. So now I am thinking that I have

already screwed up my son's future before I even knew it had really

started.

Any advice or words of wisdom are extremely welcomed.

December 6, 2008

The district must give you enough time, outside of ARD, to review and consider the evaluation they have conducted. I have never come across a specific timeline, but you certainly have the right to review the evaluation before going into an ARD.

MR

___

December 7, 2008

If the school district conducts an initial full individual

evaluation (FIE) of a student to determine eligibility under IDEA, they must

complete the assessment and report within 60 calendar days from the date

you signed consent to evaluate. They must then convene an ARD meeting

within 30 calendar days after completion of the assessment and report.

So from the date that you signed the consent to evaluate – they must

complete the assessment and have the ARD meeting by the 90 calendar day

deadline.

This timeline is only for initial evaluations and not

re-evaluations. Re-evaluation deadlines are to be determined by the ARD

committee.

So get out your calendar and count forward 90 calendar

days (not just business days) and you will be able to determine what the

deadline is. You are very likely getting close to that deadline from what

you have mentioned in your post though you didn’t indicate the date of

consent or when the evaluation began. And I suggest that you contact the

ISD and tell them that as soon as the report is completed, you are requesting a

copy of the report and most certainly no less than 5 business days prior to the

ARD meeting. This will allow you an opportunity to review the report, ask

questions and prepare for the upcoming meeting.

And you are actually way ahead of some parents with the

steps you have taken advocating for your son. Don’t beat yourself

up! None of us got “the book” on raising a child with special

needs. We were blessed with these children and are all doing our very

best to care for them and all their individual and unique needs. So give

yourself credit for what you have done as I know some folks who find themselves

with a child in middle or high school before they realize they have to ask

questions. Keep up the good work and there are no “stupid questions”.

TEA Region 18 Legal Framework (regulations reference

source)

http://fw.esc18.net/frameworkdisplayportlet/

Take care and feel free to email me directly if you have

any other questions,

Amy (reading from Digest version)

amy.sosa@...

Fighting the fight for all our

children's rights...

Please forgive

this 'stupid question'

Posted by:

" ajms1976 " amandasims@...

ajms1976

Sat Dec 6, 2008 9:55 pm (PST)