RE: IEP Re-eval

[Guest guest]

I'd suggest a complete educational assessment. Then, if there are concerns, have them write them up, including suggestions that the

school needs to implement to help meet the child's needs. And, I would be more concerned the person would NOT find Aspergers than

will; instead of focusing on the diagnosis, because if told child does NOT have it and you know he does, it won't change anything, focus

on ensuring your child has services needed to meet child's needs, whatever that professional says they are because everything will be

based UPON that! (or hopefully!). We have spent thousands and thousands and are parents of 2 with Aspergers and neither have had

services at school, and all services had have had to be at our complete and total expense (other families sound to sneeze, and have it

all and help after help from the school so I would prepare for ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, and just get ready to be an advocate for

years and years to come!). Do be ready to pay out of pocket for the recommended services (that is what we have had to do---we

have spent several hundred thousand dollars so far----it's HORRIBLE, not right, but REALITY!!!!). We have HAD to just to ensure

our children can stay relatively close to grade level / get them up to grade again, then break for a year or so, then start over. The biggest

waste of money for us was over $10,000 in lawyer fees in middle school for an IEP / 504 AT LAST, and our top / federal winning cases

lawyer himself wanted to just spit but even HE was NOT able to get our son any services provided by the school. WITH BUDGET CUTS, I would

just be prepared for the worst, and if you are one of the few lucky ones that gets services and provided at school / by the school, count

your blessings!

Based on mom with 16 and 8 year old sons with Aspergers (2 NT sons, too)...living it.....advocating for 14 1/2 years now. Good luck!!!! Have a great day.

Ruthie Dolezal

From: kelly7278@...Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:18:22 +0000Subject: ( ) IEP Re-eval

DS1 is 5 and in kindergarten. He has been receiving IEP services since age 3 for ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder. He falls into the Developmental Delay category, which "expires" at age 6. They will be starting the reevaluation process next month. I know that I would like the re-evaluation to include IQ/Gifted testing (I'm not just being a proud mom, his teacher has discussed this with me) but is there anything else I should be asking for other than the "normal" testing? We're having him evaluated for Asperger's Syndrome by a developmental pediatrician but the evaluation isn't until July. Based on what I know I'll be shocked if he isn't diagnosed with Asperger's (as would his teacher). I'm not thrilled with the services he's receiving now and I'm scared to death that he's going to get even less after the re-eval. I'm ready to dig it though, so I could use some words of wisdom from mom's who have been there, done that.Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Your asperger evaluation should include a full neuropsych which will include IQ

testing ... Though I don't know whether a school would automatically grant

services for a high IQ. In New York there are no services per se for high IQ.

Are you trying to get him into an advanced program? If so you should be able to

get him tested as any other child would be...

My son just went through some testing and the educational evaluation consisted

of the WIATT II - which appears to be some pretty basic testing.

Make sure you get a speech eval because if he's on the spectrum he will likely

need speech for pragmatics and social skills.

Is he already getting OT for the Sensory Processing Disorder?

My son gets OT & PT & counseling in a group - all of the above 2x week and we're

adding the speech for pragmatics 2x week... in school... and they're give me

an RSA for 2 hours of ot in a sensory gym a week.

and .. he's well above grade average in many areas.. on average in math so he

gets no academic services.

>

> DS1 is 5 and in kindergarten. He has been receiving IEP services since age 3

for ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder. He falls into the Developmental Delay

category, which " expires " at age 6. They will be starting the reevaluation

process next month. I know that I would like the re-evaluation to include

IQ/Gifted testing (I'm not just being a proud mom, his teacher has discussed

this with me) but is there anything else I should be asking for other than the

" normal " testing? We're having him evaluated for Asperger's Syndrome by a

developmental pediatrician but the evaluation isn't until July. Based on what I

know I'll be shocked if he isn't diagnosed with Asperger's (as would his

teacher).

>

> I'm not thrilled with the services he's receiving now and I'm scared to death

that he's going to get even less after the re-eval. I'm ready to dig it though,

so I could use some words of wisdom from mom's who have been there, done that.

>

> Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the suggestions. I wouldn't have even thought about the speech eval

so that is really good information.My son is getting OT services for the SPD,

but we do that privately as he doesn't qualify for school-based OT. We'll

continue to have OT written into the IEP though.

As far as the gifted testing, I'm hoping that he qualifies for the gifted

program so that we can get him into a better classroom setting. He's currently

in a self-contained behavior disorder class for K-3. This allows him to learn at

his level (currently doing the 2nd grade curriculum) and be in a small class

with minimal distractions but he's also not interacting with kids outside his

class and he's starting to learn behaviors he doesn't need to be learning.

If he qualifies for the gifted program we could send him to a nearby elementary

school with a self-contained gifted class. He would continue to be in a small

class and learn at the level he's at but he would have better socialization

opportunities which he desparately needs.

Thanks again for the suggestions!