iep advice

[Guest guest]

Re: Advice on first IEP meeting

Next Wednesday, I have planned an initial IEP meeting with my school

district. I have never attended one of these meetings before. I have

received a meeting confirmation form that asks me if I am going to invite

another person who has knowledge or special expertise to accompany to the

meeting? Do you recommend that I ask one of his speech therapists to attend

or is this the time I should have an advocate with me? Or does bringing an

advocate at this early stage in the game make me come off as defensive? It

also asks if I plan to use an audiotape recorder during the mtg?. Is this

necessary or suggested? The meeting is a " transitional/planning " meeting,

for my 2 and a half year old son will be soon be cut off from Early

Intervention once he turns 3. Our town has an inclusive preschool program

that includes typical developing children along with those with special

needs. If your child qualifies as " special needs " (or " disabled " ), the

program is free. Otherwise, you pay. The case manager at the school told

me the purpose of the meeting is to talk about the evaluation that would be

given in order for him to qualify, etc. My son has been diagnosed by a

developmental pediatrician with having Childhood Apraxia of Speech. He has

made tremendous strides since being in Early Intervention Speech Therapy +

Private Speech Therapy (a total of 3x per week) since he was 18 months old.

He does not have any other issues and does not seek any other therapies

besides the speech.

My concern is that the school is going to say he doesn't qualify for the

program, because in order to qualify, you need to be 33% delayed in one

area. The speech therapists who he currently sees think he will qualify but

I have a really strong gut feeling that the school is going to say his delay

is less than the 33%. This is because of everything I know about the

program and other people's experiences. (I know someone whose son was in EI

and only had speech issues, and they said he was 29% delayed, not enough to

qualify, but the school would offer him speech but she would have to pay for

the program ($2500) However, this child did not have a diagnosis.

When I spoke initially to the child study team on the phone, she asked me

" Is it speech or language? " and I answered " both " . The school feels that if

it is only speech, they consider this merely " articulation " and the child

won't qualify. My son has various problems from omitting middle and final

consonant sounds, to being unable to make specific sounds like the " k " , " g " ,

" l " , etc., to being unintelligible. However, he is a very smart kid,

potty-trained at 2, social and happy. (Of course, he does get upset when he

is not understood.)

Well, I am looking for advice because I want to do the right thing. I feel

strongly that my son should qualify and be entitled to speech services at

the school. I have 5 year old twins who attended this program as typical

developing kids and I had no problem paying for it. I just feel that my son

Tyler has worked so far for half of his life learning how to speak and he is

doing so great. I know these early formative years are the most important

and I want him to make all the new brain connections that he needs now so he

can hopefully overcome this disorder. I don't want all the progress he has

made to end now that he will be turning 3. If anyone has any advice, I

appreciate it. Thank you. I love that I can turn to this group.

My other question is do I need to wait to see how his evaluation with the

school goes before I have my own conducted? Do I need to first wait for the

outcome of the school's evaluation? (The last one I had done, my son was 18

months old, so I was thinking maybe I should have another one done, on the

outside, independently of the school.?? Can someone from EI conduct a

speech evalutation or is that not allowed?)

Thank you for all your help,

Kim

[Guest guest]

For those that do not get Exceptional Parent Magazine: heres a great article

from this month. They are there to help you but there are laws and guidelines

they have to follow..they cannot override at any whim they feel like.

Everybody Wins: How to Be an Effective Member of Your Child's IEP Team

Posted in: Regular Story

By Pamela G. Hackett, MPT

Mar 1, 2009 - 3:58:25 PM

Check back in the coming days for an audio file of this article.

As a pediatric specialist and co-owner of a large therapy services company,

parents of children with disabilities often ask me, " How do I approach my

child's IEP (individualized education program) team so that my child gets what

is needed? " Too often, parents come with negative expectations about the

intentions of the teachers and administrators who are proposing an education

plan for their son or daughter. In preparation, they arm themselves with

advocates, lawyers, and a myriad of outside evaluations in preparation for the

" battle " ahead.

In my 15 years working with the special education system, it has been

exceedingly rare that I have come across professionals who do not genuinely want

the very best for the children they serve. In today's world of shrinking

budgets, increasing demand for services, and a shortage of qualified pediatric

specialists, the current climate of opposition between parents and IEP teams is

creating a lose-lose situation for everyone except attorneys, who may profit

from special education litigation. On a global scale, this results in less and

less special education dollars available to help students as school districts

pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into defending against due process

lawsuits. The majority of families and students, who are not involved in the

litigation, are left with far less resources available to meet their own special

education needs. Alternatively, when families and IEP teams work

collaboratively, the possibilities for programming and potential are limitless

and valuable special education dollars go to the kids, where they belong.

The key to being a highly effective advocate for your child is to use the

special education process to build positive, respect-based relationships with

the individuals working with your child. The old adage that you attract more

bees with honey is as true as ever.

Know the Law

Much of the conflict that occurs between parents and IEP teams is based on a

misunderstanding of what school-based services are all about. Very often, the

school's actual legal obligations, based on state and federal mandates, are

quite different from what parents can expect from the " medical " care system. A

second area of confusion stems from the transition process between early

childhood services (for children aged 0-3) and pre-school/school-age

programming, where the goal of services shifts from home and family support to

an education-based model. In early childhood, children qualify for services

based on where their skills fall on standardized developmental tests and are

considered eligible if they test below a specified percent delay or if they

present with a diagnosed disability that typically causes delays, such as Down's

syndrome or autism. This changes when children reach school age. At that point,

standardized testing is still performed, but the determining factor is based

upon whether or not a child is sufficiently impaired that he needs support

services in order to access his education. By understanding the purpose of

special education law as it relates to your child receiving services, you can

advocate more effectively for appropriate supports.

The School-Age Child: IDEA '97 and Section 504

The landmark federal education legislation, IDEA '97 (Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act), says that students with disabilities who need

specially designed instruction to succeed in school are entitled to a free,

appropriate, public education. (IDEA underwent an amendment process in 2004.)

Another federal law, referred to as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act,

guarantees that students with disabilities will not be discriminated against in

school. These two laws represent a national commitment to education that

supports the individual needs of each child and that is provided in the least

restrictive, or most typical, environment possible.

In preparing for your child's IEP team meeting, it is important to consider how

the services you are requesting are specifically tied to your child's ability to

succeed in the classroom. Therapy services, as well as other supports, when

provided in the school setting, are implemented based on the existence of

measurable, education-based goals related directly to your child's ability to

function at school.

For example, at one of the schools that my company serves, there was a boy who

had a prosthetic leg, due to the loss of his limb in an accident. He was able to

run, walk, climb stairs, and even play basketball—so well, in fact, that no one

at the school knew he had prosthesis until a strap broke, and his prosthesis

accidentally fell off on the playground. The teachers were understandably

shocked to see a leg resting quietly in the middle of the basketball court and

put in a referral for physical therapy (PT) that afternoon. It was determined

that even though this child had sustained a potentially life-altering injury, he

was functioning beautifully in his school, and there was no observable impact on

his ability to learn. Consequently, there was no need for physical therapy.

While this child may have some periodic need for medical follow-up for new

prostheses, skin care, and bone growth issues, those medical needs fall outside

of the domain of education. Therefore, the school would not be legally required

to provide PT to address those needs.

Alternatively, a child with Down's syndrome, who experiences muscle weakness and

poor coordination which makes getting up and down the stairs and sitting at

circle time a physical challenge is eligible for physical therapy because he

needs to be able to do those things to move around the building and participate

in class.

By keeping the true purpose of school-based services in perspective, you can

more effectively communicate your child's needs in a way that respects the

inherent boundaries that special educators must observe. Equally important, you

can channel requests for services to the appropriate party.

Be a Team Member

No one knows your child as well as you do. The insight that you bring to an IEP

team is invaluable, providing a three dimensional view of your child that

enables the development of a truly " individualized " plan. The great thing about

the IEP process is that it provides a wide range of perspectives, as each person

brings a piece of the puzzle to get a complete picture of a student's strengths

and needs. You will have the opportunity to find out where your child is

relative to his or her peers in a number of areas.

During the evaluation process and the development of an IEP, the person

developing these documents should ask for your input. Feel free to share things

that you know are particularly helpful for your child, as well as areas that are

particularly challenging. If you have additional information, such as medical

records or outside evaluations, be sure to provide them to the team so that this

information can be taken into account. Similarly, if there are things that

really motivate your child, share them with the team. This insight can greatly

accelerate the progress that your child makes. For example, one of the

occupational therapists (OT) with whom I work was treating a boy with severe

attention issues. He was not able to finish an activity without repeated cueing

to stay on task. His mom shared with the OT how much he loved Pirates of the

Caribbean, so the therapist started doing handwriting activities about pirates

by, for example, having the child dig for treasure in therapy putty to earn the

" prize " of gold-covered chocolate coins. Suddenly, the child who had literally

been running out of the therapy room was asking if they could play just one more

game.

a frequent point of contention between parents and the IEP team is the amount of

services a child should receive. When it comes to therapeutic and special

education supports, people often assume that more is better. But keep in mind

that it's important to balance your child's entire educational experience. For

example, it may not make sense for a child who is 15 years old to be pulled out

of a core academic subject to work on handwriting. Try to work with your team to

keep the focus on the " big picture. " Encourage your team to find ways to carry

over therapeutic strategies and activities into the overall academic program so

that progress is not dependent up on a 30-minute treatment session once per

week. Not only will your child likely make progress faster, but will also have a

better attitude throughout the process.

When to Bring in Reinforcements

In my many years of experience working with IEP teams, I have found that it is

generally best to attend your initial team meeting without an attorney or

advocate, as their presence causes the process to begin with all parties in a

defensive posture, limiting open dialogue and creative problem solving. Like all

people, your IEP team members have the tendency to rise and fall with your own

expectations, so try to let them know that you expect the best from them. If you

have questions or concerns that the members of your IEP team are not able to

answer, don't hesitate to look elsewhere for input and information. The school

district should provide you with contact information for the department of

education in your state so that you can get an independent, outside opinion.

In the event that you are not able to come to an agreement with your child's

team, it may be necessary to bring in outside support. When choosing someone to

assist you in advocating for your child, always look for someone who is

respected for their expertise and credentials, not for their reputation as a

fierce opponent. A good advocate provides additional input to your child's

program that brings clarity, not contention.

There are times when this process can become very emotionally charged. However,

keeping your cool and keeping communication positive and respectful is one of

the best ways to ensure a successful outcome. Do your part to ensure that your

son or daughter's situation doesn't become notorious for being riddled with

angst and adversity. The most talented educators and therapists are often

" scared off " by situations in which their actions will routinely be under a

microscope, regardless of their professionalism and good intentions. Over the

years, we have seen more than one child go without services because her " high

profile " status caused the most talented therapists and educators to keep their

distance. Even the most confident and dedicated clinicians are sometimes

unwilling to take on the complexity and exposure of being drawn into a potential

battle.

Keep your Eyes on the Prize

Seeing your child progress is the reward for working together to put an IEP in

place that is truly effective. Open communication, working toward shared goals,

and a willingness to " tweak " things when a child is not moving forward as

quickly as expected are the hallmarks of a successful IEP team. I have been

privileged to work with some of the most gifted, child-focused professionals

imaginable. No one goes into special education in search of fame and fortune. No

matter how challenging the process becomes, try to remember that everyone at the

table has given their lives to helping children with disabilities, including

you.

_________________

Pamela G. Hackett, MPT is a managing partner of Pediatric Therapeutic Services,

Inc., a company providing advanced therapy staffing solutions to school

districts, charter schools, and early intervention programs. To learn more,

visit www.pts-inc.net.

[Guest guest]

I was simply trying to let her know the just because the school district may say

" your child is not eligible for services because his are too high "  

this may not be the case.  My child has every high language skills but her

speech is not intelligible.  In Ohio (don't know about other states) you can

not qualify for services on " articulation alone " - unless the IEP team - this

includes evals - agree they should qualify. 

 

From: Maureen <mosense@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: iep advice

Date: Thursday, March 12, 2009, 12:42 PM

For those that do not get Exceptional Parent Magazine: heres a great article

from this month. They are there to help you but there are laws and guidelines

they have to follow..they cannot override at any whim they feel like.

Everybody Wins: How to Be an Effective Member of Your Child's IEP Team

Posted in: Regular Story

By Pamela G. Hackett, MPT

Mar 1, 2009 - 3:58:25 PM

Check back in the coming days for an audio file of this article.

As a pediatric specialist and co-owner of a large therapy services company,

parents of children with disabilities often ask me, " How do I approach my

child's IEP (individualized education program) team so that my child gets what

is needed? " Too often, parents come with negative expectations about the

intentions of the teachers and administrators who are proposing an education

plan for their son or daughter. In preparation, they arm themselves with

advocates, lawyers, and a myriad of outside evaluations in preparation for the

" battle " ahead.

In my 15 years working with the special education system, it has been

exceedingly rare that I have come across professionals who do not genuinely want

the very best for the children they serve. In today's world of shrinking

budgets, increasing demand for services, and a shortage of qualified pediatric

specialists, the current climate of opposition between parents and IEP teams is

creating a lose-lose situation for everyone except attorneys, who may profit

from special education litigation. On a global scale, this results in less and

less special education dollars available to help students as school districts

pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into defending against due process

lawsuits. The majority of families and students, who are not involved in the

litigation, are left with far less resources available to meet their own special

education needs. Alternatively, when families and IEP teams work

collaboratively, the possibilities for programming and

potential are limitless and valuable special education dollars go to the kids,

where they belong.

The key to being a highly effective advocate for your child is to use the

special education process to build positive, respect-based relationships with

the individuals working with your child. The old adage that you attract more

bees with honey is as true as ever.

Know the Law

Much of the conflict that occurs between parents and IEP teams is based on a

misunderstanding of what school-based services are all about. Very often, the

school's actual legal obligations, based on state and federal mandates, are

quite different from what parents can expect from the " medical " care system. A

second area of confusion stems from the transition process between early

childhood services (for children aged 0-3) and pre-school/school- age

programming, where the goal of services shifts from home and family support to

an education-based model. In early childhood, children qualify for services

based on where their skills fall on standardized developmental tests and are

considered eligible if they test below a specified percent delay or if they

present with a diagnosed disability that typically causes delays, such as Down's

syndrome or autism. This changes when children reach school age. At that point,

standardized testing is still performed, but

the determining factor is based upon whether or not a child is sufficiently

impaired that he needs support services in order to access his education. By

understanding the purpose of special education law as it relates to your child

receiving services, you can advocate more effectively for appropriate supports.

The School-Age Child: IDEA '97 and Section 504

The landmark federal education legislation, IDEA '97 (Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act), says that students with disabilities who need

specially designed instruction to succeed in school are entitled to a free,

appropriate, public education. (IDEA underwent an amendment process in 2004.)

Another federal law, referred to as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act,

guarantees that students with disabilities will not be discriminated against in

school. These two laws represent a national commitment to education that

supports the individual needs of each child and that is provided in the least

restrictive, or most typical, environment possible.

In preparing for your child's IEP team meeting, it is important to consider how

the services you are requesting are specifically tied to your child's ability to

succeed in the classroom. Therapy services, as well as other supports, when

provided in the school setting, are implemented based on the existence of

measurable, education-based goals related directly to your child's ability to

function at school.

For example, at one of the schools that my company serves, there was a boy who

had a prosthetic leg, due to the loss of his limb in an accident. He was able to

run, walk, climb stairs, and even play basketball—so well, in fact, that no

one at the school knew he had prosthesis until a strap broke, and his prosthesis

accidentally fell off on the playground. The teachers were understandably

shocked to see a leg resting quietly in the middle of the basketball court and

put in a referral for physical therapy (PT) that afternoon. It was determined

that even though this child had sustained a potentially life-altering injury, he

was functioning beautifully in his school, and there was no observable impact on

his ability to learn. Consequently, there was no need for physical therapy.

While this child may have some periodic need for medical follow-up for new

prostheses, skin care, and bone growth issues, those medical needs fall outside

of the domain of

education. Therefore, the school would not be legally required to provide PT to

address those needs.

Alternatively, a child with Down's syndrome, who experiences muscle weakness and

poor coordination which makes getting up and down the stairs and sitting at

circle time a physical challenge is eligible for physical therapy because he

needs to be able to do those things to move around the building and participate

in class.

By keeping the true purpose of school-based services in perspective, you can

more effectively communicate your child's needs in a way that respects the

inherent boundaries that special educators must observe. Equally important, you

can channel requests for services to the appropriate party.

Be a Team Member

No one knows your child as well as you do. The insight that you bring to an IEP

team is invaluable, providing a three dimensional view of your child that

enables the development of a truly " individualized " plan. The great thing about

the IEP process is that it provides a wide range of perspectives, as each person

brings a piece of the puzzle to get a complete picture of a student's strengths

and needs. You will have the opportunity to find out where your child is

relative to his or her peers in a number of areas.

During the evaluation process and the development of an IEP, the person

developing these documents should ask for your input. Feel free to share things

that you know are particularly helpful for your child, as well as areas that are

particularly challenging. If you have additional information, such as medical

records or outside evaluations, be sure to provide them to the team so that this

information can be taken into account. Similarly, if there are things that

really motivate your child, share them with the team. This insight can greatly

accelerate the progress that your child makes. For example, one of the

occupational therapists (OT) with whom I work was treating a boy with severe

attention issues. He was not able to finish an activity without repeated cueing

to stay on task. His mom shared with the OT how much he loved Pirates of the

Caribbean, so the therapist started doing handwriting activities about pirates

by, for example, having the child dig

for treasure in therapy putty to earn the " prize " of gold-covered chocolate

coins. Suddenly, the child who had literally been running out of the therapy

room was asking if they could play just one more game.

a frequent point of contention between parents and the IEP team is the amount of

services a child should receive. When it comes to therapeutic and special

education supports, people often assume that more is better. But keep in mind

that it's important to balance your child's entire educational experience. For

example, it may not make sense for a child who is 15 years old to be pulled out

of a core academic subject to work on handwriting. Try to work with your team to

keep the focus on the " big picture. " Encourage your team to find ways to carry

over therapeutic strategies and activities into the overall academic program so

that progress is not dependent up on a 30-minute treatment session once per

week. Not only will your child likely make progress faster, but will also have a

better attitude throughout the process.

When to Bring in Reinforcements

In my many years of experience working with IEP teams, I have found that it is

generally best to attend your initial team meeting without an attorney or

advocate, as their presence causes the process to begin with all parties in a

defensive posture, limiting open dialogue and creative problem solving. Like all

people, your IEP team members have the tendency to rise and fall with your own

expectations, so try to let them know that you expect the best from them. If you

have questions or concerns that the members of your IEP team are not able to

answer, don't hesitate to look elsewhere for input and information. The school

district should provide you with contact information for the department of

education in your state so that you can get an independent, outside opinion.

In the event that you are not able to come to an agreement with your child's

team, it may be necessary to bring in outside support. When choosing someone to

assist you in advocating for your child, always look for someone who is

respected for their expertise and credentials, not for their reputation as a

fierce opponent. A good advocate provides additional input to your child's

program that brings clarity, not contention.

There are times when this process can become very emotionally charged. However,

keeping your cool and keeping communication positive and respectful is one of

the best ways to ensure a successful outcome. Do your part to ensure that your

son or daughter's situation doesn't become notorious for being riddled with

angst and adversity. The most talented educators and therapists are often

" scared off " by situations in which their actions will routinely be under a

microscope, regardless of their professionalism and good intentions. Over the

years, we have seen more than one child go without services because her " high

profile " status caused the most talented therapists and educators to keep their

distance. Even the most confident and dedicated clinicians are sometimes

unwilling to take on the complexity and exposure of being drawn into a potential

battle.

Keep your Eyes on the Prize

Seeing your child progress is the reward for working together to put an IEP in

place that is truly effective. Open communication, working toward shared goals,

and a willingness to " tweak " things when a child is not moving forward as

quickly as expected are the hallmarks of a successful IEP team. I have been

privileged to work with some of the most gifted, child-focused professionals

imaginable. No one goes into special education in search of fame and fortune. No

matter how challenging the process becomes, try to remember that everyone at the

table has given their lives to helping children with disabilities, including

you.

____________ _____

Pamela G. Hackett, MPT is a managing partner of Pediatric Therapeutic Services,

Inc., a company providing advanced therapy staffing solutions to school

districts, charter schools, and early intervention programs. To learn more,

visit www.pts-inc. net.

[Guest guest]

Kim,

I just had an IEP with my grandson, who also has Apraxia. I took a therapist

with me to the meeting just to be on the safe side. He just had his evaluations

last week, I get the results on the 16th. I does not hurt to have someone with

you that knows your childs history to help inform the school. He should not be

denied with Apraxia. They told me that he qualified as long as we met the

financial part of it which we did. My grandson starts the school program on the

30th of this month. I was really worried about him aging out of the early

childhood program, I am hoping school will be great for him. I wish you the best

of luck.

>

>

> Re: Advice on first IEP meeting

>

>

> Next Wednesday, I have planned an initial IEP meeting with my school

> district. I have never attended one of these meetings before. I have

> received a meeting confirmation form that asks me if I am going to invite

> another person who has knowledge or special expertise to accompany to the

> meeting? Do you recommend that I ask one of his speech therapists to attend

> or is this the time I should have an advocate with me? Or does bringing an

> advocate at this early stage in the game make me come off as defensive? It

> also asks if I plan to use an audiotape recorder during the mtg?. Is this

> necessary or suggested? The meeting is a " transitional/planning " meeting,

> for my 2 and a half year old son will be soon be cut off from Early

> Intervention once he turns 3. Our town has an inclusive preschool program

> that includes typical developing children along with those with special

> needs. If your child qualifies as " special needs " (or " disabled " ), the

> program is free. Otherwise, you pay. The case manager at the school told

> me the purpose of the meeting is to talk about the evaluation that would be

> given in order for him to qualify, etc. My son has been diagnosed by a

> developmental pediatrician with having Childhood Apraxia of Speech. He has

> made tremendous strides since being in Early Intervention Speech Therapy +

> Private Speech Therapy (a total of 3x per week) since he was 18 months old.

> He does not have any other issues and does not seek any other therapies

> besides the speech.

>

>

> My concern is that the school is going to say he doesn't qualify for the

> program, because in order to qualify, you need to be 33% delayed in one

> area. The speech therapists who he currently sees think he will qualify but

> I have a really strong gut feeling that the school is going to say his delay

> is less than the 33%. This is because of everything I know about the

> program and other people's experiences. (I know someone whose son was in EI

> and only had speech issues, and they said he was 29% delayed, not enough to

> qualify, but the school would offer him speech but she would have to pay for

> the program ($2500) However, this child did not have a diagnosis.

>

> When I spoke initially to the child study team on the phone, she asked me

> " Is it speech or language? " and I answered " both " . The school feels that if

> it is only speech, they consider this merely " articulation " and the child

> won't qualify. My son has various problems from omitting middle and final

> consonant sounds, to being unable to make specific sounds like the " k " , " g " ,

> " l " , etc., to being unintelligible. However, he is a very smart kid,

> potty-trained at 2, social and happy. (Of course, he does get upset when he

> is not understood.)

>

> Well, I am looking for advice because I want to do the right thing. I feel

> strongly that my son should qualify and be entitled to speech services at

> the school. I have 5 year old twins who attended this program as typical

> developing kids and I had no problem paying for it. I just feel that my son

> Tyler has worked so far for half of his life learning how to speak and he is

> doing so great. I know these early formative years are the most important

> and I want him to make all the new brain connections that he needs now so he

> can hopefully overcome this disorder. I don't want all the progress he has

> made to end now that he will be turning 3. If anyone has any advice, I

> appreciate it. Thank you. I love that I can turn to this group.

>

> My other question is do I need to wait to see how his evaluation with the

> school goes before I have my own conducted? Do I need to first wait for the

> outcome of the school's evaluation? (The last one I had done, my son was 18

> months old, so I was thinking maybe I should have another one done, on the

> outside, independently of the school.?? Can someone from EI conduct a

> speech evalutation or is that not allowed?)

>

> Thank you for all your help,

> Kim

>

[Guest guest]

Sorry Jen- I was not questioning your honest motives. Its not just here

but a lot of my local groups who tell new parents who are transitioning

into CPSE from preschool- be ready to fight, bring a lawyer with you to

the very first meeting...I have had a different experience and was just

trying to say there are lots of districts who do their best to help our

kids. We have to impart that people are good and they do waht they can

for our kids. Its true you get more bees with honey than vinegar! All I

ever needed was someone with me who knows my daughter as well as me---an

EI therapist or coordinator, a preschool teacher who offered to come to

my meetings when we went from CPSE to CSE.

Maybe its the district we end up in that is the luck of the draw. I've

had very good experiences with my district- but in my seven years of

being in the NY system- I have learned they do have laws and guidelines

to follow- and everyone can interpret them different. But the

interpretation is different when you go from a family-based program to

and education based program- where they view it as " can the educational

needs of this child be met or is therapy needed to reach the goals that

a typical child would have? "

A local mom here told us how her school administrators were " too busy "

to run ESY and IEP meetings! So, the teachers who taught her son were

running the meetings! The teachers who were trying to avoid every goal

that was contained in her IEP!That just floored me and left me totally

flabbergasted!

Not sure if you are in CPSE yet. My dd is in 2nd grade in a

self-contained class. She has a dx of Apraxia, mild CP and global

delays. But I also have two other sons- one older and one younger. They

both needed speech at the CPSE level....but it was only speech. I had no

dreams of a center based, free program for either of them--- I knew I

had to send them to preschool on my own dollarand take them after

school for speech. My youngest son only needed EI for a few months and

didnt even age out of EI. He was 28 mos when we stopped EI. His

therapist told me---when he turns 3- have him tested by the school

district because the testing is different and much harder to pass and

easier to qualify. I did have him tested and what they told me is that

they can qualify for Articulation only--which he did. They did not offer

any kind of center based program- but typical 3yr olds are supposed to

have certain sounds attained by that age. He did not- and was not

understood except by me. I brought him 2x a week to my district SLP and

he was discharged a month ago- he just turned 4. So, they can qualify

for Artic only- after the age of 3- when they are expected to be saying

many more sounds, blends and words almost perfectly. Ok....I've rambled

enough [] Good luck.

>

[Guest guest]

Yep! They can do whatever they want to; however, you have the right to appeal

through due process and then, if still not satisfied, take them to court. If you

win,they have to provide compensatory services.

[Guest guest]

Always take a tape recorder (and extra tapes) and bring someone with you. A

speech therapist would be the best. If you can bring an advocate " and " a speech

therapist, then that is better. If you bring an attorney,they will bring their

attorney as well. And if you tape record, then so will they.

[Guest guest]

Articlation falls under " speech delay " , which is a federally covered service. I

do not understand?

[Guest guest]

See, now that throws me for a loop as well. You do not hav to qualify

financially for public school help. Every child with a disability provided for

under IDEA is able (or should be able) to receive FAPE. (a Free and Appropriate

Public Education). So, I must ask, " what " are you talking about in regards to

" financially " qualifying?

I do know that the 0-3 early intervention programs are either free due to low

income, or based on a sliding scale otherwise.

With all that said, this does not mean that the school won't fight you in

providing obligatory services reqired by law.

[Guest guest]

The Cherab website has great info on IEP's...

http://www.cherab.org/information/speechlanguage/iepresources.html

[Guest guest]

Hi ! I was told by a early intervention coordinator that the state ( New York)

looks for more global delays as opposed to speech and language. If its

speech and language , they may be more inclined to have someone come to your

house. My son goes to the school also because since he cant express himself , he

needs more help socially and behaviorally. He also had a 33 percent delay in

language, speech .

From: <agirlnamedsuess@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: iep advice

Date: Friday, March 13, 2009, 10:10 AM

Yep! They can do whatever they want to; however, you have the right to appeal

through due process and then, if still not satisfied, take them to court. If you

win,they have to provide compensatory services.

[Guest guest]

what is a federally covered service? I'd suppose there has to be enough of a

delay in the articulatoin to qualify- but only after they turn 3 and are in the

CPSE system. An articulation delay may not qualify a child for EI the way it

would in CPSE.

>

> Articlation falls under " speech delay " , which is a federally covered service.

I do not understand?

>

>

[Guest guest]

It's funny that this topic came up today. I just had my son's transition

meeting (from ei to preschool). I was wreck for two weeks worrying that his

speech would be cut and that he wouldn't qualify for a school program. I was

aware that if the issue was not an educational issue, then he wouldn't

necessarily get any services. He does have a dx of apraxia, hypotonia in trunk

and mouth, and sensory issues. Through the school district he had an ot, pt,

speech and psychological evaluations. I provided all of my dr.'s reports (3)

and all of the speech reports and updates from his current therapist, as well as

his initial ei report. As we went through with each evaluation, it became clear

that his pt abilities had increased, and ot had decreased. His speech had

improved(a lot) but he is still very low. His IQ is in the very superior range-

which I was told by my ei coordinator that those scores would disqualify him and

my district would not pay for a school based program. Also- his social skills

are so poor due to lack of pragmatic language and I filled out some forms that

score on anxiety and social issues. He had some problems there too. Anyway, I

was so nervous- my current speech therapist came with us, the ei coordinator,

his teacher (ei program) the speech evaluator, and a psychologist representing

the place that did all the evals. On the district side was the preschool

director of sp. ed, a parent member, a teacher, and someone representing the

county.

what I was expecting was a battle- but I was wrong. They actually listened!

They looked at all of his scores including the iq and they gave him more

services than I ever expected. I walked out of there feeling great and smiling.

I didn't even have to fight or argue. As a matter of fact the EI person had

told me that they were dropping him from the program because his IQ was too high

and my district argued with her! She finally agreed to let him go to school

until the end of the summer and I think she's going to let him start ot as well.

My advice is be prepared, but don't assume there will be a battle. Have the

current therapist there if you can. Bring doctors reports. But, also keep in

mind that if your child only has articulation issues and no social or pragmatic

issues, they might not pay for a program.

[Guest guest]

Tis the season for IEP meetings. Very glad it all went well. I thought it was

great how many people came with you--glad you got more than you expected.

>

> It's funny that this topic came up today. I just had my son's transition

meeting (from ei to preschool).

[Guest guest]

Assuming that CPSE is early intervention services, a child does not have to have

been receiving early intervention services in order to qualify for services

under IDEA at age 3. Is this what you are implying?

> >

> > Articlation falls under " speech delay " , which is a federally covered

service. I do not understand?

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

There is a difference between a " problem parent " and an ADVOCATE. Often the

school districts don't understand that but we as parents need to realize that we

are ADVOCATES! Not problems.

Our inclusion specialist told us over and over that Maverick would raise to the

level that he was with and it is SO TRUE!! He is totally different when he is

with his non disabled peers than when he is with others with sp needs.

Logan , who lived a life of neglect and abuse for the first 6 years of his life,

has so many institutional, dysfunctional, disruptive behaviors, and he has only

been with us for 2 years. Most of that time has been busy taking care of

medical and physical issues. However, he has been learning by watching and has

decreased so many of the disruptive behaviors. This year we decided it was time

to move him into the " typical " classroom at our home school.

His behavior is far from perfect but he never ceases to impress us with his

ability to " behave " like the rest of the kids (good and bad!).

The school district can NOT judge your child's placement on his IQ or label (but

,yes, I know they do!), instead they are to base placement on your IEP goals.

When writing the IEP use goals that specifically need to be carried out or are

easily carried out in the reg ed setting.

They have to try the LRE with documentation that they have tried and failed more

than once.