Help with enforcing IEP ~ Speech Therapist denying problem

[Guest guest]

Hi,

My daughter is almost 10, and has been held back a year because she is doing so

poorly in school. Her speech is affecting everything having to do with

grammar... She has major issues with pronoun reversals, and at times, it is

still pretty hard for me to understand her.

The problem is, we moved to a different school, as we thought it was better for

her. It has been great. The only complaint I have is her therapist. [We were

spoiled by her last ST].

School began August 16th, and she only met her at the end of September, when I

repeatedly asked the school where this woman was. I asked for her to call me, so

we could speak about goals, and how I can reinforce them at home. She never

called.

My daughter's IEP states that she needs 1 hour a week of ST. She has had this

since Kindergarten. This new ST says she is only available for half an hour, and

will not see her more.

She did not show up to the IEP meeting, where everyone present agreed she needed

more therapy. She FINALLY called me this morning because everyone present @ the

IEP meeting told her to. I hung up shaking, I was so mad.

She kept repeating how " odd " my daughter's speech was, and said, " MOST kids, by

her age, have figured out that the way she speaks is TOTALLY unacceptable. I am

not sure why she is perpetuating her speech patterns. "

I reminded her that she has an auditory processing disorder, and this is why I

wanted an hour vs. half an hour. She was very condescending and told me my

child no longer has a speech problem, that she " only has major difficulty with

all of her vowel sounds and her R sounds and that she consistently reverses her

pronouns. " [This translates to no speech problem? Honestly?]

She then told me that my child's issues " usually resolve by Kindergarten, or at

the VERY latest first grade. " She is in 3rd, supposed to be in 4th. She went on

to say that nobody else talks the way that she does, and it is like she is

speaking her own language on purpose, and that she is a very odd child.

She has met her 5 times, total, for half an hour each time. We go through a

charter school, and homeschool 3 days a week, while she is at school 2 days a

week. They are pulling her out of art, which is the one thing she is good at, to

do her therapy sessions. I specifically asked them not to pull her out during

art. I volunteered to drive her to whatever school the ST was working at,

whenever she wanted to on my child's @ home school days. Everyone at the IEP

meeting thought this was a great idea. My other ST did that for us... It's not

like it is unheard of.

Her previous year's IEP (from K-3rd] have all had 1 hour. This lady is deeming

her okay for half an hour a week. I disagreed with that, and noted it on the IEP

paper I signed.

I'm not sure about CA law. We have insurance that will pay for ST @ $35 a visit.

Is it legal for me to request that she go to a private therapist, and they

reimburse/help with my copay, rather than work with someone who thinks my kid is

fine? I am not sure how to ask for that... but, it seems like a reasonable

offer.

I have also thought about asking them if they can contract out to our old ST,

instead of this lady who is being negative about my child, and denying she has a

problem.

I just know that this woman is not listening to anything I have asked of her.

She comes across like she thinks my kid is making her speech problem up... Why

would she do that? Her speech (mispronunciations of vowel sounds/pronoun

mix-ups} is really messing up her writing and spelling... How do they think a

half an hour session a week, with no instruction to me for follow up is going to

help my kid?

I just need help on the legalities of the IEP & how to best fight for what my

child deserves.

Thanks,

Aubrey