Concerns about Austin area autism specialist

[Guest guest]

I recently attended an ARD meeting on behalf of an autistic client in

the Austin area. The child had received private services from a local

autism clinic for some time. The services began in 2004, and it's not

clear to me how recently they ended, although I know the parents

expended a significant amount of money on the private services.

We had an ARD last fall that we recessed and reconvened after the

holidays in disagreement. When we reconvened after the Christmas

holidays, my clients were shocked and upset that we were " ambushed "

with an " observation " and " recommendations " from the head of this

private clinic, which led to their child being removed from a

mainstream class over their objections.

I have attempted to contact this service provider directly, by e-mail

and fax, to ask her to discuss this situation, but she's refused to

respond.

I realize that the community of professionals that serve autistic

students is too small for in-fighting. However, as the parent of a

disabled child myself, who utilized several private service providers,

I empathize with my clients' feeling of betrayal. What happened was

certainly a violation of IDEA 2004, and we are already in the process

of requesting a due process where that issue will be raised against

the school district. And this service provider will be subpoenaed to

testify if she's not going to talk to me and try to explain to the

clients' satisfaction why she wouldn't have notified and contacted

them regardless of IDEA rules.

I'm posting this after conferring with other clients with autistic

children, not to try to defame the individual in question. However,

if you are in the Austin area, I strongly recommend you consider

giving your private service providers a written, dated, and signed

notice that you expect that they will notify you and secure your

consent before they agree to contract with any school district to

observe or evaluate your child.

I'm sorry to have to recommend this, but I don't know any other way to

protect other children from something like this happening. I

probably could have been appeased if the provider in question had

withdrawn her observation and recommendations and promised to seek

client permission in the future, but since I can't get her to respond

to me, I feel the need to warn other Austin area parents of this

situation.