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

May 31, 2012

Good morning. Thanks for responding. I am getting ready to leave for work now, so my reply must be quick.I did have an advocate. One from our state disability coalition. I also had the executive director of our people with disabilitiescommision who was there to take notes for a paper he is writing for our governor about what the schools are doing to preparestudents with autism in Arkansas. The sped director was the one who made the "all he can learn" comment. And the sped directoris the one who had the transition consultant come. The sad thing is my son is getting more than any other sped student I have foundpast or present. Have been searching for parents with children in sped. I am not liking what I am hearing. I am not liked in my district by sped. I am sure there must be at least one family who has gotten job skills and maybe duel ed. I just have to find them.I would love to hear more about your son. Sounds like he is going to have a very successful life thanks to your and his determination.Really all my son's life skills have come from his Communtity and Home Based Waiver staff and me at home. School CBI just dabbleson things here and there. There is no real program. I met the high school CBI teacher and she actually has the kids in her class runningthe snack bar at the school cafeteria and organizations in the community call on this teacher and her students to help them with projects.This teacher seems sincerely passionate about what she is doing. Another teacher for CBI just takes her class on fun field trips and out to eat at a local pizzza place once a week at the parent's expense. I have just finished developmental disbilities family leadership training. One speaker was a mediator from the law school at a local university.I think that is the route I am going to go with at this point. Just need to get all my information together. Your comments here included too.I have done a state complaint before. All this stuff only gets you a little bit more ahead. They say one thing and even put it in print but onlybecause they know they have a loophole for everything they tell you.April To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy From: trinasherman@...Date: Thu, 31 May 2012 07:29:04 -0500Subject: Re: This was our Transition to High School IEP meeting. Looks too vague doesn't it? What can I do to make it better?

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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

,

May 31, 2012

So many parents worry about the school liking them. My school district likes me but I'm sure I'm a major pain the ass. I push hard but I never ask for things I'm not also wiling to do. I want trained aides? I train a in home staff of tutors. I want inclusion? I found the method for him to BE included. I want a " A real job with meaning " (his words on the letterboard) I am searching and promoting and supporting organizations trying to change. I want respect, I earn it. I volunteer at the school, I meet peacefully with educators and support people, I search out parents and try to get them on my wagon. Many of them " don't want to make waves " or " get people angry " . You have rights, but understand the pressure schools are under. Understand teachers have many SPED kids to help. Make it easier. Support them. My son now understands his behavior in school dictates how much he gets to do. My school understands the right aide makes it possible for my son to be a huge asset to the classroom. I give of myself freely and often and I'm as much a advocate for my school as I am for my son. My school needed PROOF he could learn. RPM gave them proof but it's always a struggle to keep the supports and trained aides he needs to continue. So every year I plead, I remind, I advocate and I show up with a smile and a plea. He does the rest.

Don't worry about making waves, many teachers and administrators now applaud me for my advocacy, and I tell them I could never have done it without them. do search for those duel enrollment kids. How about your local Autism organization? Surely someone knows someone? parents talk schools would rather we didn't and ask Haven...she even has a gag order.

Good morning. Thanks for responding. I am getting ready to leave for work now, so my reply must be quick.I did have an advocate. One from our state disability coalition. I also had the executive director of our people with disabilities

commision who was there to take notes for a paper he is writing for our governor about what the schools are doing to preparestudents with autism in Arkansas. The sped director was the one who made the " all he can learn " comment. And the sped director

is the one who had the transition consultant come. The sad thing is my son is getting more than any other sped student I have foundpast or present. Have been searching for parents with children in sped. I am not liking what I am hearing. I am not liked in my

district by sped. I am sure there must be at least one family who has gotten job skills and maybe duel ed. I just have to find them.I would love to hear more about your son. Sounds like he is going to have a very successful life thanks to your and his determination.

Really all my son's life skills have come from his Communtity and Home Based Waiver staff and me at home. School CBI just dabbleson things here and there. There is no real program. I met the high school CBI teacher and she actually has the kids in her class running

the snack bar at the school cafeteria and organizations in the community call on this teacher and her students to help them with projects.This teacher seems sincerely passionate about what she is doing. Another teacher for CBI just takes her class on fun field trips and out

to eat at a local pizzza place once a week at the parent's expense. I have just finished developmental disbilities family leadership training. One speaker was a mediator from the law school at a local university.

I think that is the route I am going to go with at this point. Just need to get all my information together. Your comments here included too.I have done a state complaint before. All this stuff only gets you a little bit more ahead. They say one thing and even put it in print but only

because they know they have a loophole for everything they tell you.April To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

From: trinasherman@...Date: Thu, 31 May 2012 07:29:04 -0500Subject: Re: This was our Transition to High School IEP meeting. Looks too vague doesn't it? What can I do to make it better?

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.