Off topic - IEP expertise needed!

[Guest guest]

We need some advice here. 's case manager came by today to share what

was going on when she observed him at school. It was disturbing. So now

we have to change pretty much everything that's in his IEP and start all

over. The Kansas Department of Education told me that the goals we have

were very vague and not measurable (no big surprise there). Our IEP team

is dishonest and sneaky. The worst part is the punitive way in which they

implement his services. One example is his behavior plan. Since it needs

to be noted every thirty minutes how he is doing with social skills and

staying on task, he is made to carry a clip board around to the cafeteria,

to his specials like art and PE, ect... To me it stinks. You don't see

typical kids walking around with clipboards. The behavior plan was okay

with me, it was supposed to be a positive thing though, with rewards for

good behavior tied to it. If anyone in his class hasn't completed an

assignment by the time it's due then they have to miss recess to complete

that assignment. When it's done they still cannot participate in recess.

Although I have requested and the teacher and IEP team has agreed to allow

short breaks when he has to miss recess, this did not happen on the day he

was observed. He was so anxious and uptight that he self injured until he

rubbed a raw spot on his finger and bled. When his case manager pointed

this out to his teacher she said " Oh, has dry skin and picks at his

hands " . His para, that I had to fight tooth and nail to get, spent a good

part of the teachers lesson time opening his desk, getting into his

binder, shuffling papers, and serving in every way possible to be more of

a distraction to him. His team states that he does not qualify for

extended school year because we don't have the data showing enough of a

regression over the summer. Last summer we spent over $1,000 to send him

to a private school for LD kids for a month. In 16 areas on his report

card his grades are lower than they were in second grade (last year). Who

knows how bad he would be doing if we didn't do everything we can to

prevent regression over the summer! His goals are vague, unmeasurable,

and inappropriate.

So finally, here are my questions. For those of you with IEP's, how long

does it take to get a good one written? How can we reduce the chances of

teachers and other staff members taking out their bad feelings for me on

my child? How do you handle the teams pressuring you to sign? How do I

respond when they tell me " thus and such service only sets him apart from

his peers more " ? Do your IEP's look like they are supposed to, or are

they vague like mine? For example: " The building level team will

identify resources necessary for the ongoing support of the student's

program " That's how the para professional support is written in. Although

we've had 2 IEP meetings now, and still can't agree, they have only listed

two parental concerns in his IEP. It's not even one complete sentence.

I'm literally sick and tired. Got any advice for us?

Robin

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