Re: Question about IEPs- Replies

[Guest guest]

Thanks Debbie this was amazingly helpful and informative. I will

most definately get the ball rolling with CCAS (they came in and did

his feeding tube support so hopefully this will be an easy task to

accomplish.)

As for Reading For the Love of It - it is an amazing conference. I

got so much out of it Willhem is definately the guy to go

see for some fantastic suggestions on how to work with reluctant

readers. I think I'll push to go again next year - once just isn't

enough! Thanks again.

Charlene, Will's mom

>

> 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

> Question about IEPs

>

>

> 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

>

>

>

>

>

>