Re: Dealing with VA Schools

[Guest guest]

Sue,

Sorry I cant help you with the info you are asking for but I do have

a quick comment on something that I experienced when I put my son in

school. When they did the testing on him they said they did not

believe he had asperger syndrome but because he had diagnoses by two

doctors they said they had to go ahead with an IEP and treat him as

an asperger child cause he was diagnosed with this by a psychiatrist

and a psychologist that specialized in this disorder. We live in

Michigan and I dont understand how a school can go against a doctors

diagnosis. I have heard a couple other moms on here that have said

similar things that you are saying and I just dont understand how

they can do that. Why do we bother to take our kids to doctors then

why dont we just go right to the school system for medical help. Does

that make any sense???? I dont know if its the diference in the state

or the school systems or what but I think that is ridiculous what you

guys are going through and I feel so bad for your grandson and there

is no way I would leave him at that school not matter what anyone

says. To me that is abuse, he cant deal with that. I sure hope you

guys can get some help from someone else on this site or somewhere

else but something has to be done and now. Now that the school has

had the chance to know my son and see his difficulties and talk to

him they realze that their initial testing was wrong, and they dont

even question it anymore. I wish you good luck, gina (collins mom)

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I need everyone's help who has either had good or bad experiences

> with the VA school systems. Here's why: I have a wonderful

> stepdaughter who is the mother of 3 of my grandchildren. The twin

> boys are 5 and my granddaughter is 3.

>

> One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond.

She

> has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along

> with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The

> Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year

which

> the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own

> testing.

>

> They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at

lunch

> or even play together at recess. His twin can hear him crying

across

> the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her

> know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and

meltdowns

> that he has. The meltdowns are also occuring at home.

>

> I am so infuriated that my little grandson is so traumatized and I

> want to help but i don't know where to start. The school says that

> the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no

guarantee

> that the diagnosis will be acknowledged or that services will be

> provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and

in

> the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.

>

> I know what we go through with Gage who for those of you who don't

> know me is an aspie's kid and we don't want to wait so darn long

for

> anything to get done!! I can't wait to hear from you all.

>

> Sue

>

[Guest guest]

I decided not to waste my daughter's time and further damage her self steam, and I pulled her out of the VA public school system. She was deeply depressed (Asperger and 12). One yr. residential treatment far from home, One year homeschool and 3 years in private school. At 17 she keeps struggling with many issues and we know that there is no "Cure"; however, we have hopes and we are glad we decided to send her to private school . She got into the University of her choice, and is living in campus (against her will since she is extremely attached to her room, privacy; her isolation). In fact, I became her counselor since she refuses treatment or meds. It is hard, specially working full time. I am not a counselor but after all these years I have been forced to learn somehow , and I keep learning and praying to GOD for guidance. She is not receiving services in College and we did not ask for any. but I am alert in case she would need them. There is not a universal way to do things for our children but we cannot remain waiting for a response. Our children's time is too valuable.

( ) Dealing with VA Schools

Hi Everyone,

I need everyone's help who has either had good or bad experiences

with the VA school systems. Here's why: I have a wonderful

stepdaughter who is the mother of 3 of my grandchildren. The twin

boys are 5 and my granddaughter is 3.

One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She

has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along

with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The

Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which

the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own

testing.

They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at lunch

or even play together at recess. His twin can hear him crying across

the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her

know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and meltdowns

that he has. The meltdowns are also occuring at home.

I am so infuriated that my little grandson is so traumatized and I

want to help but i don't know where to start. The school says that

the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no guarantee

that the diagnosis will be acknowledged or that services will be

provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and in

the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.

I know what we go through with Gage who for those of you who don't

know me is an aspie's kid and we don't want to wait so darn long for

anything to get done!! I can't wait to hear from you all.

Sue

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[Guest guest]

Hi Sue,

I am confused. He does have an IEP, yes? You said one of the doc's went to the IEP meeting last spring so he has an IEP? If this is so, then she needs to call for another IEP meeting to address the problems.

I'm not sure she has to request a re-evaluation? The IEP should address "ALL" of his current needs. If they failed to do an eval in another area of concern, then they need to get that done. But it doesn't negate having to have an "APPROPRIATE" IEP in place right now. So it would be easier, IMO, to get an IEP meeting and have the IEP address his current needs while waiting for them to do an eval.

I have never heard of a timeline stating 65 days? Most of the time, it's 30 days or 60 days. I would ask the school to provide this information to you in writing. I think someone if pulling your leg.

Also, have her get in touch with an advocacy person/group in her area to help her. Here is a link she can start searching for --> http://www.peatc.org/

I would also ask them why they are not letting him near his brother at school. Sometimes they do that so they eliminate the witness. But I would write a follow up letter and put that in there as something very unusual happening.

Roxanna

You're UniqueJust like everyone else...

( ) Dealing with VA Schools

Hi Everyone,I need everyone's help who has either had good or bad experiences with the VA school systems. Here's why: I have a wonderful stepdaughter who is the mother of 3 of my grandchildren. The twin boys are 5 and my granddaughter is 3. One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own testing.They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at lunch or even play together at recess. His twin can hear him crying across the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and meltdowns that he has. The meltdowns are also occuring at home. I am so infuriated that my little grandson is so traumatized and I want to help but i don't know where to start. The school says that the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no guarantee that the diagnosis will be acknowledged or that services will be provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and in the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.I know what we go through with Gage who for those of you who don't know me is an aspie's kid and we don't want to wait so darn long for anything to get done!! I can't wait to hear from you all.Sue

No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.21/1671 - Release Date: 9/14/2008 7:16 AM

[Guest guest]

> One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She

> has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along

> with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The

> Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which

> the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own

> testing.

> They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at lunch

> or even play together at recess.

Hi Susie. I have 13yo twin boys, one with Asperger. I'm not trying

to be argumentative, but I wanted to give you some hope that, IME,

some of these things that seem strange may not be as bad as they seem

at first glance.

It is typical for schools to separate twins in the elementary grades,

even in kindergarten, for various reasons. In many schools, kids

these days are seated at lunch by class (because the lunch periods are

much shorter), so if the twins aren't in the same class, they won't be

sitting together at lunch either. Point being, the twins may not be

being separated for any particular reason. If they are, there may be

something going on that you don't know about. In 5th grade, my twins

got in little squabbles in front of the principal several times at

lunch and she got tired of it and wouldn't let them sit together for

awhile.

His twin can hear him crying across

> the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her

> know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and meltdowns

> that he has.

My Asperger son used to cry a lot during school in K, 1st and the

first half of 2nd. The teachers were not only not doing anything

wrong--as far as I could tell they were handling it pretty well. He

was crying a lot because of typical Asperger issues--easily

frustrated, low emotional control, anxiety, etc. (We didn't start

having school problems until 4th grade.) I'm just saying that crying

during school is not necessarily an indicator of something wrong

(although it could be), but part of the HFA package. It IS important

for your stepdaughter to find out how they are handling whatever he is

crying over so she can determine if everything is going okay. But, if

the teachers feel like they are handling his problems okay, they are

not going to contact the parents every time the child cries in school.

What your stepdaughter might want to do is have a meeting with the

teacher, and maybe ask a school administrator to attend, to go over

how her son's daily activities are going in more detail than you get

at an IEP meeting. You might want the administrator there to help

resolve any problems that come up.

> The school says that

> the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no guarantee

> that the diagnosis will be acknowledged or that services will be

> provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and in

> the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.

Yes, she needs to do this and make sure she hands the evaluation

reports in with the application to be used as input. They don't have

to wait for the evaluation to be completed to make changes, by the way.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Ruth

[Guest guest]

Thanks Ruth,

I am going to forward your letter to my stepdaughter. She did set up a meeting this Thurs to have him re-evaluated. It's so hard to believe the difference in the States. We live in PA and I couldn't ask for a better school system and all the benefits the State pays for regarding autism. We even get money for gas mileage. Any outside school services such as OT, Speech or PT is also covered by the state. The wonderful thing is that these benefits are not based on the family income, but the child's diagnosis.

Thanks for responding.

Sue

From: r_woman2 <me2ruth@...>Subject: ( ) Re: Dealing with VA Schools Date: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 3:51 PM

> One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She > has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along > with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The > Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which > the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own > testing.> They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at lunch > or even play together at recess. Hi Susie. I have 13yo twin boys, one with Asperger. I'm not tryingto be argumentative, but I wanted to give you some hope that, IME,some of these things that seem strange may not be as bad as they seemat first glance. It is typical for

schools to separate twins in the elementary grades,even in kindergarten, for various reasons. In many schools, kidsthese days are seated at lunch by class (because the lunch periods aremuch shorter), so if the twins aren't in the same class, they won't besitting together at lunch either. Point being, the twins may not bebeing separated for any particular reason. If they are, there may besomething going on that you don't know about. In 5th grade, my twinsgot in little squabbles in front of the principal several times atlunch and she got tired of it and wouldn't let them sit together forawhile.His twin can hear him crying across > the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her > know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and meltdowns > that he has. My Asperger son used to cry a lot during school in K, 1st and thefirst half of 2nd. The teachers

were not only not doing anythingwrong--as far as I could tell they were handling it pretty well. Hewas crying a lot because of typical Asperger issues--easilyfrustrated, low emotional control, anxiety, etc. (We didn't starthaving school problems until 4th grade.) I'm just saying that cryingduring school is not necessarily an indicator of something wrong(although it could be), but part of the HFA package. It IS importantfor your stepdaughter to find out how they are handling whatever he iscrying over so she can determine if everything is going okay. But, ifthe teachers feel like they are handling his problems okay, they arenot going to contact the parents every time the child cries in school.What your stepdaughter might want to do is have a meeting with theteacher, and maybe ask a school administrator to attend, to go overhow her son's daily activities are going in more detail than you getat an IEP

meeting. You might want the administrator there to helpresolve any problems that come up.> The school says that > the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no guarantee > that the diagnosis will be acknowledged or that services will be > provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and in > the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.Yes, she needs to do this and make sure she hands the evaluationreports in with the application to be used as input. They don't haveto wait for the evaluation to be completed to make changes, by the way.Hope this helps! Good luck!Ruth

[Guest guest]

Hi Roxanna,

Yes, he does have an IEP but it doesn't address autism at all since the school doesn't recognize outside diagnosis even from the top Dr.'s which to me makes no sense at all. The school has to do their own evaluation and decide what is going on with my grandson. It just blows me away. As far as I'm concerned, the IEP doesn't amount to very much at all. The school seems to be of the opinion that he has minor developmental delays.

Sue

From: Roxanna <madideas@...>Subject: Re: ( ) Dealing with VA Schools Date: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 2:45 PM

Hi Sue,

I am confused. He does have an IEP, yes? You said one of the doc's went to the IEP meeting last spring so he has an IEP? If this is so, then she needs to call for another IEP meeting to address the problems.

I'm not sure she has to request a re-evaluation? The IEP should address "ALL" of his current needs. If they failed to do an eval in another area of concern, then they need to get that done. But it doesn't negate having to have an "APPROPRIATE" IEP in place right now. So it would be easier, IMO, to get an IEP meeting and have the IEP address his current needs while waiting for them to do an eval.

I have never heard of a timeline stating 65 days? Most of the time, it's 30 days or 60 days. I would ask the school to provide this information to you in writing. I think someone if pulling your leg.

Also, have her get in touch with an advocacy person/group in her area to help her. Here is a link she can start searching for --> http://www.peatc. org/

I would also ask them why they are not letting him near his brother at school. Sometimes they do that so they eliminate the witness. But I would write a follow up letter and put that in there as something very unusual happening.

Roxanna

You're UniqueJust like everyone else...

( ) Dealing with VA Schools

Hi Everyone,I need everyone's help who has either had good or bad experiences with the VA school systems. Here's why: I have a wonderful stepdaughter who is the mother of 3 of my grandchildren. The twin boys are 5 and my granddaughter is 3. One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own testing.They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at lunch or even play together at recess. His twin can hear him crying across the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and meltdowns that he has. The meltdowns are also

occuring at home. I am so infuriated that my little grandson is so traumatized and I want to help but i don't know where to start. The school says that the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no guarantee that the diagnosis will be acknowledged or that services will be provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and in the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.I know what we go through with Gage who for those of you who don't know me is an aspie's kid and we don't want to wait so darn long for anything to get done!! I can't wait to hear from you all.Sue

No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG - http://www.avg. com Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.21/1671 - Release Date: 9/14/2008 7:16 AM

[Guest guest]

Sue,There is a HUGE difference from state to state with what is provided for ASD kids, both in the schools and outside the schools. I live JUST over the border of PA into MD, and so my kids are in MD schools. We're pretty much going to have to push to get what my kiddos need, although I will say that MD isn't as bad as some states. BUT, I've got a good friend who's a teacher of an ASD class up in PA, who lets me know just how much MORE there would be available for them if we'd move a couple miles north! We actually considered it, and there is a GREAT house on the market right now, but it would be impossible for us to sell OUR house in order to move. Totally stinks.For me, I think that things like provision for disabilities should really be a federally governed thing only, rather than allowing states to pick and choose what they will provide. For example, up in PA you guys have TSS, which sounds great! Except, NOTHING like that is offered in MD. There is no real support for the kids OR the family other than what you pay for yourself. School districts are starting to realize just now that ASD is on the rise and that maybe they need different school provisions in place than your "general special ed." group. MD just seems to be behind in this area, although I know there are many more states that are even FURTHER behind! I get really frustrated with this. If I could just pick up and move easily I would, but with the housing market, AND the fact the DH works for himself, so getting insurance could be an impossibility (although I know the two boys, at least, would be provided for), and there is no way we could move even if we really want to, unless a major miracle happens! IT STINKS!Mina -------------------------------Mina SmolinskiMommy to: 9/25/02 - NT 5/13/04 - PDD-NOSOwen 7/1/05 - PDD-NOS/HyperlexiaLila 3/3/07 - NT On Sep 22, 2008, at 8:23 AM, Sue wrote:Thanks Ruth, I am going to forward your letter to my stepdaughter. She did set up a meeting this Thurs to have him re-evaluated. It's so hard to believe the difference in the States. We live in PA and I couldn't ask for a better school system and all the benefits the State pays for regarding autism. We even get money for gas mileage. Any outside school services such as OT, Speech or PT is also covered by the state. The wonderful thing is that these benefits are not based on the family income, but the child's diagnosis. Thanks for responding. SueFrom: r_woman2 <me2ruth >Subject: ( ) Re: Dealing with VA Schools Date: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 3:51 PM> One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She > has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along > with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The > Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which > the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own > testing.> They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at lunch > or even play together at recess. Hi Susie. I have 13yo twin boys, one with Asperger. I'm not tryingto be argumentative, but I wanted to give you some hope that, IME,some of these things that seem strange may not be as bad as they seemat first glance. It is typical for schools to separate twins in the elementary grades,even in kindergarten, for various reasons. In many schools, kidsthese days are seated at lunch by class (because the lunch periods aremuch shorter), so if the twins aren't in the same class, they won't besitting together at lunch either. Point being, the twins may not bebeing separated for any particular reason. If they are, there may besomething going on that you don't know about. In 5th grade, my twinsgot in little squabbles in front of the principal several times atlunch and she got tired of it and wouldn't let them sit together forawhile.His twin can hear him crying across > the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her > know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and meltdowns > that he has. My Asperger son used to cry a lot during school in K, 1st and thefirst half of 2nd. The teachers were not only not doing anythingwrong--as far as I could tell they were handling it pretty well. Hewas crying a lot because of typical Asperger issues--easilyfrustrated, low emotional control, anxiety, etc. (We didn't starthaving school problems until 4th grade.) I'm just saying that cryingduring school is not necessarily an indicator of something wrong(although it could be), but part of the HFA package. It IS importantfor your stepdaughter to find out how they are handling whatever he iscrying over so she can determine if everything is going okay. But, ifthe teachers feel like they are handling his problems okay, they arenot going to contact the parents every time the child cries in school.What your stepdaughter might want to do is have a meeting with theteacher, and maybe ask a school administrator to attend, to go overhow her son's daily activities are going in more detail than you getat an IEP meeting. You might want the administrator there to helpresolve any problems that come up.> The school says that > the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no guarantee > that the diagnosis will be acknowledged or that services will be > provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and in > the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.Yes, she needs to do this and make sure she hands the evaluationreports in with the application to be used as input. They don't haveto wait for the evaluation to be completed to make changes, by the way.Hope this helps! Good luck!Ruth

[Guest guest]

Sue,That seems to be something I've run into, although once I had an official dx. the school DID decide to accept it. (Thank God!) Before official dx. the school psych actually said to me "Well, we don't want to label him (), because in the past we had kids with an official dx. of ASD who, after a few years, didn't fit the dx., and so we don't believe they were dx'd properly, and we don't want your son tagged as disabled if he's not.". Which, to me, kind of means they are missing the point, aren't they? I mean, we all hope that after some years of intervention that our kids start to lose or at least reduce the impact of their disorder! What's the point of intervention otherwise? But, if there are people involved in the schools who are under the impression that if the kids get "better" that they weren't dx'd properly in the FIRST place, then you can see where problems with getting appropriate dx. accepted could be an issue, AND in turn getting appropriate supports in place. Relying on just minor developmental delays "covering" the dx. for the child makes sense if you look at it that way, although to any of us with ASD kiddos, it doesn't make sense AT ALL!Mina -------------------------------Mina SmolinskiMommy to: 9/25/02 - NT 5/13/04 - PDD-NOSOwen 7/1/05 - PDD-NOS/HyperlexiaLila 3/3/07 - NT On Sep 22, 2008, at 8:35 AM, Sue wrote:Hi Roxanna, Yes, he does have an IEP but it doesn't address autism at all since the school doesn't recognize outside diagnosis even from the top Dr.'s which to me makes no sense at all. The school has to do their own evaluation and decide what is going on with my grandson. It just blows me away. As far as I'm concerned, the IEP doesn't amount to very much at all. The school seems to be of the opinion that he has minor developmental delays. SueFrom: Roxanna <madideaszoominternet (DOT) net>Subject: Re: ( ) Dealing with VA Schools Date: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 2:45 PMHi Sue,I am confused. He does have an IEP, yes? You said one of the doc's went to the IEP meeting last spring so he has an IEP? If this is so, then she needs to call for another IEP meeting to address the problems. I'm not sure she has to request a re-evaluation? The IEP should address "ALL" of his current needs. If they failed to do an eval in another area of concern, then they need to get that done. But it doesn't negate having to have an "APPROPRIATE" IEP in place right now. So it would be easier, IMO, to get an IEP meeting and have the IEP address his current needs while waiting for them to do an eval. I have never heard of a timeline stating 65 days? Most of the time, it's 30 days or 60 days. I would ask the school to provide this information to you in writing. I think someone if pulling your leg. Also, have her get in touch with an advocacy person/group in her area to help her. Here is a link she can start searching for -->http://www.peatc. org/ I would also ask them why they are not letting him near his brother at school. Sometimes they do that so they eliminate the witness. But I would write a follow up letter and put that in there as something very unusual happening. Roxanna You're UniqueJust like everyone else... ( ) Dealing with VA SchoolsHi Everyone,I need everyone's help who has either had good or bad experiences with the VA school systems. Here's why: I have a wonderful stepdaughter who is the mother of 3 of my grandchildren. The twin boys are 5 and my granddaughter is 3. One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own testing.They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at lunch or even play together at recess. His twin can hear him crying across the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and meltdowns that he has. The meltdowns are also occuring at home. I am so infuriated that my little grandson is so traumatized and I want to help but i don't know where to start. The school says that the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no guarantee that the diagnosis will be acknowledged or that services will be provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and in the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.I know what we go through with Gage who for those of you who don't know me is an aspie's kid and we don't want to wait so darn long for anything to get done!! I can't wait to hear from you all.SueNo virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG - http://www.avg. com Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.21/1671 - Release Date: 9/14/2008 7:16 AM

[Guest guest]

Re: dealing with VA schools...come sit by me! I live in the northern part of Va with a 14 yr. old ds with HFA. We had to home school 2 times and then after 3 years of misery for him and us, psychological damage we moved to a new school district. State regs state they will do their own testing--let them. CARS and GARS should be requested--if you don't agree then ask for an IEE. They have to consider any doctor "licensed in the state of VA" with knowlege of your child's issues. They don't have to implement their recommendations, just consider. If the ped. came to the meeting I guess they said that the doctor was a "medical" doctor and not educationally informed.

Your best defense is don't sign anything in the meeting other than you attended, get any refusal or denial of change or implementation--even accomodations in writing as Prior Written Notice--it is the law-they will tell you they don't do it, but it is Fed. regs so remind them. Then call Hank Millward at VDOE--he is the Complaint and Resolution Specialist. He will help you understand what is a "potential procedural violation" that could be violation for a complaint. He has been an emense help to me and he will contact the school to remind them what their responsibility is and help resolve the situation. He is the best.

Don't forget...document, if it sounds fishy ask them to "show you the regs" or "put it in writing".

hank.millward@..., 804-649-2045

VA schools have a ways to go, some are better than others. Kluge Children's Rehab. Hosp. did our evals at the school expense when they missed our sons dx!! They had to take it then!

Write if you need help off group or on,

Kirsten Hargis

[Guest guest]

It doesn't surprise me that they won't accept the doc's dx but the IEP has to cover all areas of delay - no matter what they want to call it. It sounds to me like the IEP doesn't cover many of his needs. She could tell them, then, that they are not providing a free, appropriate public education (fape) if they are not meeting all of his needs. They are required to do that, though they obviously don't think they do.

Have her call for an IEP meeting and she should make a list of all his needs she knows are not being dealt with. Then she should go down that list and ask for specific goals/objective or accommodations for each item. If they say "no" - she should write that down, including the reason given. Then she can write a really good follow up letter. She can CC this letter up the food chain as well to start getting more people involved.

But best of all - get an advocate to go and help her sort them out!! A person who knows the laws and how to advocate can really light a fire under their feet, I hope!

RoxannaYou're UniqueJust like everyone else...

( ) Dealing with VA Schools

Hi Everyone,I need everyone's help who has either had good or bad experiences with the VA school systems. Here's why: I have a wonderful stepdaughter who is the mother of 3 of my grandchildren. The twin boys are 5 and my granddaughter is 3. One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own testing.They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at lunch or even play together at recess. His twin can hear him crying across the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and meltdowns that he has. The meltdowns are also occuring at home. I am so infuriated that my little grandson is so traumatized and I want to help but i don't know where to start. The school says that the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no guarantee that the diagnosis will be acknowledged or that services will be provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and in the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.I know what we go through with Gage who for those of you who don't know me is an aspie's kid and we don't want to wait so darn long for anything to get done!! I can't wait to hear from you all.Sue

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[Guest guest]

Hi Kirsten,

Thank you so much for the information. I will forward it on.

Sue

From: Kirsten Hargis <k_hargis2004@...>Subject: ( ) Re: Dealing with VA Schools Date: Monday, September 22, 2008, 10:42 AM

Re: dealing with VA schools...come sit by me! I live in the northern part of Va with a 14 yr. old ds with HFA. We had to home school 2 times and then after 3 years of misery for him and us, psychological damage we moved to a new school district. State regs state they will do their own testing--let them. CARS and GARS should be requested--if you don't agree then ask for an IEE. They have to consider any doctor "licensed in the state of VA" with knowlege of your child's issues. They don't have to implement their recommendations, just consider. If the ped. came to the meeting I guess they said that the doctor was a "medical" doctor and not educationally informed.

Your best defense is don't sign anything in the meeting other than you attended, get any refusal or denial of change or implementation- -even accomodations in writing as Prior Written Notice--it is the law-they will tell you they don't do it, but it is Fed. regs so remind them. Then call Hank Millward at VDOE--he is the Complaint and Resolution Specialist. He will help you understand what is a "potential procedural violation" that could be violation for a complaint. He has been an emense help to me and he will contact the school to remind them what their responsibility is and help resolve the situation. He is the best.

Don't forget...document, if it sounds fishy ask them to "show you the regs" or "put it in writing".

hank.millward@ doe.virginia. gov, 804-649-2045

VA schools have a ways to go, some are better than others. Kluge Children's Rehab. Hosp. did our evals at the school expense when they missed our sons dx!! They had to take it then!

Write if you need help off group or on,

Kirsten Hargis

[Guest guest]

Hi Kirsten,

Thank you so much for the information. I will forward it on.

Sue

From: Kirsten Hargis <k_hargis2004@...>Subject: ( ) Re: Dealing with VA Schools Date: Monday, September 22, 2008, 10:42 AM

Re: dealing with VA schools...come sit by me! I live in the northern part of Va with a 14 yr. old ds with HFA. We had to home school 2 times and then after 3 years of misery for him and us, psychological damage we moved to a new school district. State regs state they will do their own testing--let them. CARS and GARS should be requested--if you don't agree then ask for an IEE. They have to consider any doctor "licensed in the state of VA" with knowlege of your child's issues. They don't have to implement their recommendations, just consider. If the ped. came to the meeting I guess they said that the doctor was a "medical" doctor and not educationally informed.

Your best defense is don't sign anything in the meeting other than you attended, get any refusal or denial of change or implementation- -even accomodations in writing as Prior Written Notice--it is the law-they will tell you they don't do it, but it is Fed. regs so remind them. Then call Hank Millward at VDOE--he is the Complaint and Resolution Specialist. He will help you understand what is a "potential procedural violation" that could be violation for a complaint. He has been an emense help to me and he will contact the school to remind them what their responsibility is and help resolve the situation. He is the best.

Don't forget...document, if it sounds fishy ask them to "show you the regs" or "put it in writing".

hank.millward@ doe.virginia. gov, 804-649-2045

VA schools have a ways to go, some are better than others. Kluge Children's Rehab. Hosp. did our evals at the school expense when they missed our sons dx!! They had to take it then!

Write if you need help off group or on,

Kirsten Hargis

[Guest guest]

Hi Mina,

We live in Fulton Cty PA. Are you in or near Washington County? I have a friend who lived in Washington County with an autistic son who moved just across the state line for the benefits. She also started a support group in lin county PA which I am part of. It's always nice to "meet" someone who lives close by.

Sue

From: r_woman2 <me2ruth (DOT) com>Subject: ( ) Re: Dealing with VA Schools Date: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 3:51 PM

> One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She > has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along > with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The > Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which > the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own > testing.> They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at lunch > or even play together at recess. Hi Susie. I have 13yo twin boys, one with Asperger. I'm not tryingto be argumentative, but I wanted to give you some hope that, IME,some of these things that seem strange may not be as bad as they seemat first glance. It is typical for schools to separate twins in the elementary grades,even in kindergarten, for various reasons. In many schools, kidsthese days are seated at lunch by class (because the lunch periods aremuch shorter), so if the twins aren't in the same class, they won't besitting together at lunch either. Point being, the twins may not bebeing separated for any particular reason. If they are, there may besomething going on that you don't know about. In 5th grade, my twinsgot in little squabbles in front of the

principal several times atlunch and she got tired of it and wouldn't let them sit together forawhile.His twin can hear him crying across > the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her > know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and meltdowns > that he has. My Asperger son used to cry a lot during school in K, 1st and thefirst half of 2nd. The teachers were not only not doing anythingwrong--as far as I could tell they were handling it pretty well. Hewas crying a lot because of typical Asperger issues--easilyfrustrated, low emotional control, anxiety, etc. (We didn't starthaving school problems until 4th grade.) I'm just saying that cryingduring school is not necessarily

an indicator of something wrong(although it could be), but part of the HFA package. It IS importantfor your stepdaughter to find out how they are handling whatever he iscrying over so she can determine if everything is going okay. But, ifthe teachers feel like they are handling his problems okay, they arenot going to contact the parents every time the child cries in school.What your stepdaughter might want to do is have a meeting with theteacher, and maybe ask a school administrator to attend, to go overhow her son's daily activities are going in more detail than you getat an IEP meeting. You might want the administrator there to helpresolve any problems that come up.> The school says that > the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no guarantee > that the diagnosis will be

acknowledged or that services will be > provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and in > the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.Yes, she needs to do this and make sure she hands the evaluationreports in with the application to be used as input. They don't haveto wait for the evaluation to be completed to make changes, by the way.Hope this helps! Good luck!Ruth

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue,Nope, we're in Carroll County, just over the border from right about where County and York County meet the border. ) My friend who's in the school system up there works for LIU in York County.If we could possibly make it work, a move up into PA would make everyone happy, as we tend to orient around Hanover, PA rather than our own town, anyway. (Every store in our zip code is further away than the South Hanover area.) But, with the insurance issues alone, I think we could be stuck. (Mina -------------------------------Creative Designs by Minahttp://www.minasmol.etsy.com On Sep 22, 2008, at 5:20 PM, Sue wrote:Hi Mina, We live in Fulton Cty PA. Are you in or near Washington County? I have a friend who lived in Washington County with an autistic son who moved just across the state line for the benefits. She also started a support group in lin county PA which I am part of. It's always nice to "meet" someone who lives close by. SueFrom: r_woman2 <me2ruth (DOT) com>Subject: ( ) Re: Dealing with VA Schools Date: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 3:51 PM> One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She > has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along > with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The > Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which > the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own > testing.> They won't let the 2 boys be in the same class, sit together at lunch ;> or even play together at recess. Hi Susie. I have 13yo twin boys, one with Asperger. I'm not tryingto be argumentative, but I wanted to give you some hope that, IME,some of these things that seem strange may not be as bad as they seemat first glance. It is typical for schools to separate twins in the elementary grades,even in kindergarten, for various reasons. In many schools, kidsthese days are seated at lunch by class (because the lunch periods aremuch shorter), so if the twins aren't in the same class, they won't besitting together at lunch either. Point being, the twins may not bebeing separated for any particular reason. If they are, there may besomething going on that you don't know about. In 5th grade, my twinsgot in little squabbles in front of the principal several times atlunch and she got tired of it and wouldn't let them sit together forawhile.His twin can hear him crying across > the hallway and no one will even call my step-daughter to let her > know, let alone sending home a note with all the issues and meltdowns > that he has. My Asperger son used to cry a lot during school in K, 1st and thefirst half of 2nd. The teachers were not only not doing anythingwrong--as far as I could tell they were handling it pretty well. Hewas crying a lot because of typical Asperger issues--easilyfrustrated, low emotional control, anxiety, etc. (We didn't starthaving school problems until 4th grade.) I'm just saying that cryingduring school is not necessarily an indicator of something wrong(although it could be), but part of the HFA package. It IS importantfor your stepdaughter to find out how they are handling whatever he iscrying over so she can determine if everything is going okay. But, ifthe teachers feel like they are handling his problems okay, they arenot going to contact the parents every time the child cries in school.What your stepdaughter might want to do is have a meeting with theteacher, and maybe ask a school administrator to attend, to go overhow her son's daily activities are going in more detail than you getat an IEP meeting. You might want the administrator there to helpresolve any problems that come up.> The school says that > the parents have to request a re-evaluation and there is no guarantee > that the diagnosis will be acknowledged or that services will be > provided. They have up to 65 days to do the testing I believe and in > the meantime this little boy is severely struggling.Yes, she needs to do this and make sure she hands the evaluationreports in with the application to be used as input. They don't haveto wait for the evaluation to be completed to make changes, by the way.Hope this helps! Good luck!Ruth

[Guest guest]

You have the law on your side. Ask for the document of your rights. Legally the school should be giving you

a set every time for you to read before they have a meeting for your son. School districts hate lawsuits so just a letter in writing threatening one results! They know they are out of compliance often with practically every kid with a disability because all there is so much paperwork and the government just keeps putting more out there for them to do. You don't have to move to get your son's needs met. Just get a pen, paper, start documenting everything, keep every piece of paper that comes from them. Keep track of exact dates, and write down everything even if you don't think it will matter. The families of the ASD population could have huge power if everyone would ban together and start demanding what their kids need. After all, it is your kids future you are responsible for, you will be the one worrying when he is a teenager because he didn't get the right intervention when he was young from the school.

Teachers come and go and so do principals however, your so will be yours forever and the economy is getting so bad that adult neuro typically developing kids are not able to move out and afford to support themselves. check out what principals make on the pay scale and then check out what they get for benefits after they retire. They will find a way to pay for your child's needs.

Autism-Smiles (I must be on one tonight, I sound more like the Autism_Witch lol

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/14/2008 3:16:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time, susiejones58@... writes:

One of the boys is hfa and they reside just outside of Richmond. She has had him evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist along with an evaluation through Children's Hosp in Charlotte. The Pediatrician even attended the IEP the end of last school year which the school refused to acknowledge saying they would do their own testing.

You step daughter should get their refusal to consider the Pediatric Developmental Specialist's evaluation and recommendation in WRITING. Then she needs to request (in writing) a full evaluation for special education to take place by the school department. They then have 60 or 65 days (according to state regulations) to complete the evaluations. If your daughter does not agree with their findings, she can request an independant evaluation be done and paid for by the school district. Mediation is always an option also.

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