Re: Contacted North Area School Board Regardind PLACE @ Winston Park NO LUCK!

[Guest guest]

You need an advocate. The PLACE program is just a program. the curriculum will be the same-you need to have an IEP meeting-Maybe start making some phone calls to the area office-the ESE specialist cannot tell you where your child can go and not go to school.

I have an advocate for you. The school system would love for you to pull your child out, but make them do it. When parents run they do not have to abide by what is the law!

Melody Zamir

From: sList [mailto:sList ] On Behalf Of diaza1973Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 9:31 AMTo: sList Subject: Contacted North Area School Board Regardind PLACE @ Winston Park NO LUCK!

Hi everyone,Thank you so much for everyone's responses to my situation in reagrds to the PLACE program @ Winston Park. I contacted the ESE placement specialist this morning and expressed some not all of my concerns and asked if I could take a look @ other nearby PLACE programs in our are ie. Tradewinds, Quiet Waters, etc. and she stated NO this is my only option ALTHOUGH tradewinds is NOT to full capacity they will not grant us the opportunity to even look @ their program because Winston Park has a low # of kids. I said but there is still room available @ Tradewinds isn't there and she said yes but basically said Winston Park is our ONLY option mind you Tradewinds is only 1 1/2 miles from our house almost equal distance away from Winston Park. Anyhow I am so upset it makes me feel like rather work with us and try to find a better program for her so she can get her education they just shut us down I got the impression that she doesn't matter @ all to them! Now I am forced to look into a private school that accepts children with special needs. My daughter is a twin and her twin is typical. I don't have the $ to put her into a private school and I also don't have the $ to hire a shadow for her. A shadow is something we have to pay for out of pocket correct? Her label right now is DD (developmental Delay) and not (ASD) we opted to re-visit this when she turns 5 and going into Kindergarten. Does anyone have any ideas or options? I am so stressed, frustrated, and disappointed in the school system that rather help us find an alternative school they just rather not offer her the services ... Un real!Thanks!______________________________________________________________________This email has been scanned by the Broward Health Email Security System.______________________________________________________________________

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Broward Health

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I am sorry to hear about you situation.

I have been in almost the same situation for my son. I am in PB county but it works the same. We were offered placement in a preK at a public Elementary school for DD children, I went to look at it didn't like it so I requested to get to take a look at several other schools before we in the IEP decided on placement. I found One that was acceptable. At first they gave me a hard time but let me choose where my son would attend. Because there are no legal limits on class size for ESE preK, legally they cant deny you placement for that reason(then it might not be beneficial to your child if the class gets to big) but you can always let the ESE coordinator know, that that is not a valid reason for not letting your child go to a certain school. Also the distance from your house is not a valid reason as long as you provide transportation for your child, it is up to you how far you want to drive.

I would call for a new IEP meeting and raise my concerns about the offered placement.

Subject: Contacted North Area School Board Regardind PLACE @ Winston Park NO LUCK!To: sList Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 9:31 AM

Hi everyone,Thank you so much for everyone's responses to my situation in reagrds to the PLACE program @ Winston Park. I contacted the ESE placement specialist this morning and expressed some not all of my concerns and asked if I could take a look @ other nearby PLACE programs in our are ie. Tradewinds, Quiet Waters, etc. and she stated NO this is my only option ALTHOUGH tradewinds is NOT to full capacity they will not grant us the opportunity to even look @ their program because Winston Park has a low # of kids. I said but there is still room available @ Tradewinds isn't there and she said yes but basically said Winston Park is our ONLY option mind you Tradewinds is only 1 1/2 miles from our house almost equal distance away from Winston Park. Anyhow I am so upset it makes me feel like rather work with us and try to find a better program for her so she can get her education they just shut us

down I got the impression that she doesn't matter @ all to them! Now I am forced to look into a private school that accepts children with special needs. My daughter is a twin and her twin is typical. I don't have the $ to put her into a private school and I also don't have the $ to hire a shadow for her. A shadow is something we have to pay for out of pocket correct? Her label right now is DD (developmental Delay) and not (ASD) we opted to re-visit this when she turns 5 and going into Kindergarten. Does anyone have any ideas or options? I am so stressed, frustrated, and disappointed in the school system that rather help us find an alternative school they just rather not offer her the services ... Un real!Thanks!