The eval process. Was: Newly diagnosed 6 year old son...

[Guest guest]

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> An IEP (Individualized Education Plan)�is always specific goals for

your child based on a multi-disciplinary evaluation of your child.�

Once a child qualifies for special education services through the

public school system, which can be a lengthy evaluation process taking

several months, a team of specialists (the teacher, the child

psychologist, SLT, OT and/or PT) will all sit down and write up a plan

specific to what your child needs.� It is an outline of what the

school will be working on with the child during the school year.� If

he needs, speech services, those goals will be included, if he needs

social skills, those goals will be included, if he needs OT these

goals will be included, etc.�

A note to the newly initiated... Things rarely just fall into place

like this. Also, the evaluation process is actually under a federal

timeline from the time the school receives your written request for an

evaluation. So, you know exactly how long it will take, something

like 2 or 3 months--different states count the time slightly different.

Child Find often doesn't work the way it is supposed to. If your

child has a high enough IQ that their academic performance is at least

grade level, there is a good chance, especially in some states, that

he or she will quickly be found to be without disabilities. That

doesn't mean he or she isn't going to get accommodations, but it means

the burden or proof is going to fall on the parents.

This is when you request an IEE or get your own evaluations done. You

don't have to officially request an IEE to do your own evaluations and

then present the results, i.e., you can request the IEE after the

fact. If your health insurance covers an evaluation or intervention,

IMO it is better to go ahead and do it yourself so your child gets

intervention as quickly as possible. You also have more control over

the interventions this way, and private therapists tend to give

parents more feedback IME. At school, the staff may get all the

feedback and not pass on much of it.

One of the first decisions you need to make is whether you can

afford/want to hire an attorney/good advocate or want to/need to learn

to advocate yourself. This not only depends on how deep your pockets

are, but how good your own analytical, communication, networking, and

research skills are. A lot of times the free or low-cost advocates

are either connected with the local schools or not any better than a

parent advocate with good skills. But, my point being that which

direction you go with advocating makes a difference on what you need

to start doing.

Ruth