Re: This was our Transition to High School IEP meeting. Looks too vague doesn't it? What can I do to make it better?

[Guest guest]

What bothers me most is the comment " He's learned all that he can learn " . As if there is some cap to his intelligence. When do any of us stop learning? Maybe it's the teaching method that has stalled? They wanted to put my 6th grader in a lifeskills class before we found RPM and then again I had to fight to keep the one to one inclusion we had gained when he learned to communicate with an aide on a letterboard in all academic classes. They pushed me to include life skills and I refused. My son would also verbally say. " Yes work " " live with mom " but on the letterboard will tell you he wants to invent things and get married. I can teach my son to cook and clean they need to teach the rest. 

A job coach should be provided by the state but the school is on the hook till at least 21 in your state they don't get to say " thats all we can do " and chuck him out. Sounds like you need an advocate and I suggest you contact your schools sped director and inquire about transition services and go see some of these jobs they are thinking of. Services for adults are abysmal here in Texas but just because my sons voice and body doesn't respond the same way as everyone else does not mean I'm going to stand by and allow him to do meaningless work just to pass time. The mind is a horrible thing to waste. My 17 year old son is being pursued by colleges all over the country. They have no idea he uses a letterboard and needs full time support. He is brilliant AND Autistic. It's a new world.

And if you have a younger child and you read this and you think this won't happen to you because you are going to magically recover, I suggest you start making a plan. Support organizations like Golden Hat or Autism Trust who are trying to make real lives for the children and adults who are your future. Hiding from the future doesn't make it better. Ask around. How many children diagnosed with Autism at age 3 recover by 18? Autism is now one in 88 or one in 65 depending on the study. 

 

I had to work hard to get this for , and I know they are going to water this down as they have done to everything else the last 8 years.We live in Arkansas. His class placement is Community Based Instruction (CBI) yet they informed me that they don't take students to a work place off campus tois 

get job skills. They said they won't pay for a Recreational and Leisure Therapy Eval, but if I can pay for it or find funding for it they will impliment it.I did find funding.  Eval starts this Friday.

 The sped director told me the speech path and OT were implimenting rec therapy in their sessions with and they both confirmed itverbally at the meeting a few weeks ago, but when I emailed the speech path 3 times asking for details about how she accomplishes this

in his speech sessions I never got a reply.  A private speech therapist told me it is illegal for a speech therapist to impliment Rec Therapy.It would be Medicaid fraud.  So, I am assuming that is also true for the school speech path and that is why she isn't responding to me.

  is 14 years old and will be in 9th grade in the fall.  Turns 15 in November. Here is what Form #400  (ADE SPED Required Form - July 2008) says: Transition Goals and Services Child's Postsecondary Goals

was given the Picture Interest Career Survey on 02-02-12 by his teacher, Ms. M.  Ms. M prompted to select from 3 given pictures by pointing to what he liked best.  's Occupational PICS Code was RSCAIE

(Realist, Social, Conventional, Artistic, Investigative, and Enterprising).  Also with Ms. M's assistance, completedthe Ansell Casey Life Skills Assessment (Youth 3) on 02-03-12.  scored a raw score of 52% on

Communication, 67% on Daily Living, 33% on Housing and Money Management, 53% on Self Care, 76% on Social Relationships, and 75% on Work and Study Skills.  attended his IEP meeting and participated inthe development of his plan.

 Goals For Employment and Education are REQUIRED, list goals for Independent LivingSkills as appropriate. 1. Postsecondary Career/Employment Goal(s):  As an adult, what kind of work do you want to do/will you do?

 When asked if wanted to work when he got older, he said, " Work. "   When asked what would like to do as work, he said, " work. " (1.) After graduation from B. High School, will work with agriculture in the community.

(2.) will work at least 5 days a week for a minimum of six hours daily.  2. Postsecondary Education/Training Goal(s):  After High School, what additional educational and training will ou want/need to receive?

 (1.)  will need to receive on the job training by his employer in his assigned job duties and tasks.  3.  Postsecondary Independent Living Skills/Community Participation Goal(s):  As an adult, how and where do you want to/will you live and what skills will you need to live as independently as possible?

 When asked if wanted to live with his mother or by himself, said, " Mom. " (1.) will continue to live at home with mother will supports from outside agencies  The IEP team will meet again prior to graduation to see where  intends to live after graduation.

 List age appropriate transition assessments used indetermining postsecondry goals:02-02-12: Picture Interest Career Survey02-03-12: Ansell Casey Life Skills Assessment (Youth 3)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 The next page is Form #401 Transition Services Transition Activities/Services                           Responsibile Person/Party          Semester to be implemented     Status:  1: New,   2: Continue, 3: Completed

 Career/Employment ActivitiesInvestigate Jobs in the field of agriculture         SPED Teacher/Student                Fall 12 - Spring 13                      1Continue to work on oral communication skills   Speech path/Student                  Fall 12 - Spring 13                      1

  Secondary Education/Training ActivitiesLearn fundamentals of government process        Civics Teacher/Student              F 12 - S 13                                1Learn fundamentals of basic finance skills           Econ Teacher/Student               F 12 - S 13                                1

  Independent Living Skills/Community Participation ActivitiesSpecial Olympics                                              SPED Teacher/Student               F 12 - S 13                                1Continue to work on coordination and language skills in OT   OT/Student              F 12 - S 13                                1

  OtherNone listed here  Was there a need to invite a community agency representative likely to provide current or future services?The school checked the NO box here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 IEP Form #402 Courses of StudyListed recommended courses to be taken from current year to anticipated exit year.  Include those courses needed to assist the child in reaching post secondary goals. 

9th grade:  Vocational Community ServiceDomesticLeisureRecreationalDaily Living SkillsKeystone 10th grade: CommunityVocationalDomesticElective - 2  Metro: Culinary Arts

 11th grade: CommunityVocationalDomesticElective - 2 Metro: Culinary Arts 12th grade: CommuntiyVocationalDomestic Elective - 2 Metro: Culinary Arts Ages 18-21

School wouldn't list anything here because they know I want Duel Education at the local Vo-Tech College in Culinary Arts  and for the first time every theysaid may not even need to go to school past age 18 because he just may have learned all that he could learn.  Before they knew I wanted Duel Ed.

they wanted him through age 21. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     

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[Guest guest]

Dear April,I hope you taped that meeting.They said they won't pay for a Recreational and Leisure Therapy Eval, but if I can pay for it or find funding for it they will impliment it.

I did find funding.  Eval starts this Friday.

This is an illegal statement - goes against procedure.  Districts cannot pre-determine services.  They MUST do the testing first to determine if there is a need for these services.  If the testing shows the child needs these services, the district is bound under law to provide a FAPE.  The " F " stands for " FREE to the parents. "  However I can see where they might say it isn't necessary from an educational point of view, so you might have to prove why it is needed, but the testing must be done to see if it is needed BEFORE they decline it.  Request the testing and services in writing and date it.  They must decline in writing and give valid reasons for rejecting the proposal.  If they do not reject in writing they violate procedure again.

Ages 18-21

School wouldn't list anything here because they know I want Duel Education at the local Vo-Tech College in Culinary Arts  and for the first time every they

said may not even need to go to school past age 18 because he just may have learned all that he could learn.  Before they knew I wanted Duel Ed.

they wanted him through age 21.

This has to be the most bigoted, prejudicial stated I have ever heard!  So much for creating " life long learners " as so many schools profess to create.  The CANNOT throw him out until he is 21. Period.  Unfortunately, it appears you will have to advocate for what your child needs and you will need to use good advocacy practices to do it.good advocacy practices to do it.

Start your paper trail. tape all meetings, Log all phone conversations and in person conversations.

I also looked at what they have planned for him, but I saw NO academic IEP's.  Why is this?

[Guest guest]

At our last ARD we were told that our son would not be allowed to take a Pre-AP English Arts class because the district decided that they would not provide accommodations for that class.I think once they became aware of exactly what they were saying their stance changed...To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Sent: Thu, May 31, 2012 4:00:04 PMSubject: Re: This was our Transition to High School IEP meeting. Looks too vague doesn't it? What can I do to make it better?

Dear April,I hope you taped that meeting.They said they won't pay for a Recreational and Leisure Therapy Eval, but if I can pay for it or find funding for it they will impliment it.

I did find funding. Eval starts this Friday.

This is an illegal statement - goes against procedure. Districts cannot pre-determine services. They MUST do the testing first to determine if there is a need for these services. If the testing shows the child needs these services, the district is bound under law to provide a FAPE. The "F" stands for "FREE to the parents." However I can see where they might say it isn't necessary from an educational point of view, so you might have to prove why it is needed, but the testing must be done to see if it is needed BEFORE they decline it. Request the testing and services in writing and date it. They must decline in writing and give valid reasons

for rejecting the proposal. If they do not reject in writing they violate procedure again.

Ages 18-21

School wouldn't list anything here because they know I want Duel Education at the local Vo-Tech College in Culinary Arts and for the first time every they

said may not even need to go to school past age 18 because he just may have learned all that he could learn. Before they knew I wanted Duel Ed.

they wanted him through age 21.

This has to be the most bigoted, prejudicial stated I have ever heard! So much for creating "life long learners" as so many schools profess to create. The CANNOT throw him out until he is 21. Period. Unfortunately, it appears you will have to advocate for what your child needs and you will need to use good advocacy practices to do it.good advocacy practices to do it.

Start your paper trail. tape all meetings, Log all phone conversations and in person conversations.

I also looked at what they have planned for him, but I saw NO academic IEP's. Why is this?

[Guest guest]

I am also wondering why no academics at all?

Some other things pop out at me...

It seems you are agreeing to his post-secondary goal to be " working in local

agriculture " when you really want it to be something in the culinary arts?

I am also wondering why he is not being taught alternative ways to communicate

in addition to continuing to work on verbal speech? Maybe because they have not

taught him enough academics? Obviously there may be things I don't know--but if

they are saying he can't do this--how do they know since they don't appear to be

trying?

[Guest guest]

My guess is they never bothered to teach him academics at all.  Please tell me this isn't true.