Question about IEPs

February 10, 2006

Hi All - I've been away for a few days but would love to hear from you

all about IEPs and classroom modifications, accomodations that have

been made for your kids with regards to size, voice {volume},

behvioural etc. As you know 's teacher has expressed several

concerns about his behaviour and acknowledges that his voice gets on

her nerves - so are there any suggestions that I can give her to

assist her in accomodating RSS in the classroom. Does the Magic

Foundation offer any assistance in the are of accomodations that

benefit our kids?

Thanks

February 10, 2006

Hi there,

I think every state/province is different on how they actually do

IEP/IPP's. As for the voice maybe speech therapy? I'm not sure on

that one, Olivia's voice is just the same and I don't think there's

really anything to do about it. I did tell her teacher to back off of

her a little bit though as she was always getting into trouble for

talking... All the other kids talked too and it's not Olivia's fault

that her voice carries so much louder and higher so she's the one

getting caught all the time.

As for modifications our school has done quite a bit for Olivia with

mostly good results and some minor regret. They lowered the drinking

fountain in her wing of the school and in the bathroom there was a

double sink so they cut the counter and lowered one sink, the soap

dispenser and the paper towels. This was done not only for her height

but also for the brittle bones as I didn't want her climbing stools

every few minutes of the day just to land on tile floor if she falls

off.

They ordered her a properly sized chair so her feet are on the floor

and an adjustable table. They also ordered her a " desk " that will

follow her right up to Gr.5, it is a large chair that looks like a

throne, high back, arm rests, adjustable foot rest and the entire

chair can be adjusted so that she's at the same level as the other

kids and not way down in a miniature desk.

Olivia also has a one on one aide that helps keep her on track and

tries to redirect inapropriate behaviour. All of this is in her IEP

as well as snacks every hour and that she's to be able to eat on

demand at all times.

ST, OT, PT are all a part of it and I'm sure there things I've

forgotten! Sorry I can't help on how you go about it, but these are

some of the things we've incorporated. I've heard a lot about 504's

for those of you in the States, I'm sure someone else will answer!!

Good Luck!

Leah, mom to , almost 11 and

Olivia, 6 yrs, 23lbs, 36 " , RSS, OI

>

> Hi All - I've been away for a few days but would love to hear from

you

> all about IEPs and classroom modifications, accomodations that have

> been made for your kids with regards to size, voice {volume},

> behvioural etc. As you know 's teacher has expressed several

> concerns about his behaviour and acknowledges that his voice gets on

> her nerves - so are there any suggestions that I can give her to

> assist her in accomodating RSS in the classroom. Does the Magic

> Foundation offer any assistance in the are of accomodations that

> benefit our kids?

> Thanks

>

February 11, 2006

Hi again,

I was just thinking, hmm, is this written from Charlene, 's

mom in Canada?

I would talk to the special needs co-ordinator at your school and

start from there. The biggest hurdle would be funding if major

classroom/school modifications are needed. Deb B. and Jodi Z.

should have a lot more info for you than I do!

Leah

> >

> > Hi All - I've been away for a few days but would love to hear

from

> you

> > all about IEPs and classroom modifications, accomodations that

have

> > been made for your kids with regards to size, voice {volume},

> > behvioural etc. As you know 's teacher has expressed

several

> > concerns about his behaviour and acknowledges that his voice

gets on

> > her nerves - so are there any suggestions that I can give her to

> > assist her in accomodating RSS in the classroom. Does the Magic

> > Foundation offer any assistance in the are of accomodations that

> > benefit our kids?

> > Thanks

> >

>

February 11, 2006

Hi Charlene

How was Reading for the Love of it? I have to go next year.

As for the IEP, as you go along the process, let me know. Since you are in

Ontario and I am responsible for our IEPs, I am intimately familiar with

protocol and procedure.

I will list for you the accommodations I have had for Adam over the years.

First, you should ask 's teacher to get a referral for Occupational

Therapy. We use Community Care Access (CCAC---which sounds alot like children's

aide CAS which confuses people LOL) I would think they would be the same

institution you guys would use in Belleville. I know a girl in Guelph that I

recommended it to, and it was the same out there.

The referral would be to evaluate and provide recommendations for the school in

regards to meeting 's needs in relation to his small stature and ability

to fully access his learning environment. Copy that sentence out!! LOL because

they will follow up on that.

Each year I have CCAC come to the school and they examine every part of Adam's

environment. In years past they have recommended an adjustable desk, a smaller

chair, they evaluated his printing (his letter formation was fine but his speed

was slow due to the low muscle tone; because of that evaluation, Adam qualified

for an ISA computer---computer bought by the government for his own personal use

in the school--and we just upgraded to a lap top now that he is in grade 8), but

each September I have them come in a re-measure his desk etc. to raise it and/or

make adjustments due to growth over the past year. Also, O.T. did a number of

sessions with Adam last year (it's a need I recommended) on skills in gym.

Intermediate level gym classes tend to be focused on sports so she helped him

develop some basketball and volleyball skills. All of this " therapy " was done in

the school, during the school day.

Now CCAC also has a speech component.....however you have to go through the

school's speech and language pathologist. Ask the teacher for a speech

screening. I really doubt much can be done for pitch of voice, but you never

know. If this woman is going to complain, then the school should be part of the

solution. Make them work otherwise they should shut up!!

OK over the years here are some of the accommodations Adam has had:

-adjustable desk (even the smallest school desk was too big)

-smaller chair

-stools to reach the foundation, to sit on the toilet, to reach the drinking

fountain (we didn't have the bone issues that Olivia has)

-I never found the coat racks a problem but I will be asking for Adam to have a

lowered shelf when he goes to high school next year

-automatic door openers (which the school board never installed!! GRRR but they

were SUPPOSED to). Adam was on the second floor of the school from grade 2

onwards and the doors to access the lower level and the washrooms were fire

doors (real heavy) the O.T. found that he was taking a flying run at the doors,

wailing them open with all his body momentum and then racing through before the

door shut. The OT felt that if anyone ever got in his way and/or he

slipped--well she said he would be " Adam sandwich " so she recommended them

Due to the low muscle tone he is to not be copying from the board, he is not to

be copying anything mindlessly, if he is to write all his efforts are to be

answering the work. Also we have it written that if the class is to complete 50

questions, Adam should do 25--again due to the low muscles.

He is to have a second set of textbooks at home so he is not weighted down with

the backpack. That is a HUGE hassle every year because the school always claims

they have no extra textbooks.....I have been creative over the years and TAKEN

books when I find them, but that works because I work in the school.This year I

bought Adam a rolling back pack (the ones like a suitcase but are a school

bag??) because this whole second textbook issue was getting stupid. But I could

have fought it and demanded it!

What else? Oh in phys. ed. I have his IEP for MODIFICATIONS. I have actually had

the expectations for gym changed each year. So he is NOT TO BE GRADED based on

what his peers are capable of doing or the expectations outlined for that grade.

For instance if one expectation is to throw a ball 30 feet, then I expect he

will throw it 15 feet. If the expectation is to bounce a basketball 100 times,

then I expect him to bounce a smaller sized ball 50 times etc. I write his IEP

since I am the special ed. teacher but you have to know that IEPs are supposed

to be collaboratively written between teacher and parent so if there is anything

missing from his IEP or something you don't like---you can demand things be

added or removed. You have to sign for it, so don't worry about being involved

in it's development. That's your right.

Also I have in Adam's IEP that he is to eat small frequent meals at HIS DESK. I

have had teachers TRY to have him removed from class to eat because they feel it

is distracting. OH I have had fights over this over the years!!! But ultimately

it is my belief that it's hard to predict WHEN Adam will be hungry and how long

it will take to eat. Also my son is a huge task avoider and he would be OUT all

day saying he needs to eat and miss all his class work. So I have tried hard to

stand on that, and have had a lot of battles. But really who cares if the kid is

sitting there eating a cookie while he works???

There is probably a ton more things I have forgotten but start with those things

and if there are any other questions you have, please let me know.

PS Magic has some outlines based on presentations done at past conferences on

accommodations/modifications at school and you might see something that you

haven't thought of, but their special ed. procedures and systems are different

in the states than for us....they have something called a 504--we don't have

that. Also they have identification for special ed. purposes called MEDICAL

reasons. In Ontario we can have a student identified under only a few areas

autism, Developmental delay, multiple exceptionalities, learning disabled, mild

intellectual disability, behaviour and physical. I got Adam formally identified

(to protect his rights and to guarantee an IEP and assistance) under physical

disability. He didn't meet the criteria for anything else.

Debby B