What if you don't agree with the program offered for your child? Is there anything you can do? My doctor wants her in a AI program but they want her in a differnt program.
There are things you can do. You can ask for "prior written notice" to get the SD to explain their decision, and what evaluations etc it is based on. You could ask for a an "independent educational evaluation" if you think that the evaluation was not done properly and so the SD wants something other than what you requested.
Look for these terms in the Wright's Law web site or similar. They are sufficiently involved that I probably should not try to explain them. You can also try mediation or due process, but you will have to prove that the SD offer is not appropriate for due process.
Districts have an obligation under the law called Child Find. They are SUPPOSED to be ACTIVELY looking for children in the District, ages 3 and up, who need special services. It is NOT incumbent on just the parents to bring these kids to the District's attention. The District is supposed to work with local pediatricians and regular nursery schools to identify kids with issues WAY before kindergarten. They have already failed your child by not identifying him and evaluating him prior to the kindergarten screening. Part of the reason there IS a kindergarten screening is Child Find.
Heed the advice pp's have written. Send a letter to your school district immediately. In fact, hand deliver it to the special ed dept. and ask that it be date-stamped. They have 60 days from the date of your letter (give consent for a full eval in the letter) until the date of your child's first therapy. They KNOW this. Perhaps the speech teacher does not. Take it from me. NEVER get your special ed law explained to you by the school district. They don't KNOW it. And even those who DO know it won't explain it honestly in many cases. Become informed. The BEST book out there for parents, IMHO, is From Emotions to Advocacy. Also, the other great Wrightslaw book, Special Education Law. YOu can order them both at www.wrightslaw.com If your state is a "dual enrollment" state, you might be able to get interventions, like speech, paid for thru the school district for your homeschooled son. This varies from state to state, but you can call State Ed or check on their website about this. Search "private school" there and you'll probably turn up the special ed regulations your state has about that.
We had an IEP at age 2 and 5 months. Andrew finished Early Intervention the next month and then started special needs pre-K.Your doctors are not the best resource for school anymore than school is the best resource for medication. IEPs are based on proven NEED. Your child's need is determined by educational testing. To help the school understand what you perceive as his needs, make a list. Ask them how they propose to test for each of these issues. The testing and the evaluation report that accompanies it will determine your child's service, in theory, but your knowing the law and knowing the best ways to negotiate will be the determining factor in whether your son's IEP will be truly appropriate or not. I HIGHLY recommend getting the book From Emotions to Advocacy. I sure wish something like this had been around 14 years ago when my son entered preschool. It's the BIBLE, IMHO, for anyone who wants to effectively start advocating for his or her child. If we parents don't know the law and what our kids' rights are, no one will tell us. In fact, oftentimes the schools don't actually know themselves, sorry to say. The doctors definitely don't.I'd like to know all the things that should be included on my son's IEP. I've asked the psychiatrist and his therapist. They tell me I'm smart and know what he needs, but I don't want to overlook anything. MJ is 10 and had had ADHD/bipolar dx for several years. We have been treating him as if he was a RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder) Kid for a while and now we have new dx to add...Asperger's with RAD characteristics. His 12 year old brother is ADD and 9 year old sister ADHD/bipolar. They all three are PTSD.
I'm a single mom, disabled and almost 60. I was grandma to these 3 before I adopted them. Their biological mom is my adoptive daughter. She is paranoid schizophrenic, ADHD, PTSD, anti social, sociopath, bipolar, schizo-affective with multiple personalities. I'm also an only "child". LOL My father is 89, legally blind, on hospice care for his heart problems and has cardiovascular dementia. My 3 grown children (2 more adopted and one bio.) are 2000 miles away. So is b/f.
I moved here 9 years ago for my health so don't have long standing friends to count on. Respite care is available on weekends but they do so many wrong things that it takes a week to get back to what is normal. I've found an all natural, no hormone added diet is extremely helpful. I can tell you within minutes if someone sneaks them junk food thinking "poor little kids". We are also very strick with a decent time for bed, even on weekends because if they get overly tired, we end up with a "bad day"!
MJ is on abilify, clonodine, and guanfacine. He was on risperdol for a little while and he just bloated and it didn't work. Kinzi is on abilify and clonodine. But much smaller doses. Jaison's ADD is just being managed by repeating, repeating, repeating, refocusing, refocusing, refocusing, and sticky notes....on everything. The door has one that says...book bag, socks, shoes. The car door has one that says ....turn in homework. He finally gets the get out of bed, shower, brush teeth, etc. But one day he forgot his pants!
I'd love to get respite care but is there anywhere I can take them that won't just feed them junk food all weekend and let them stay up half the night?
Thanks for any input.
My kids were tested, and placed on an IEP before entering preschool. The IDEA covers kids start at age 3.I have a question on IEP's. Some of you know that I am homeschooling my 7 yr old (he has aspergers). I also have a 4 year old (will be 5 in June)- and I might send my 4 yr old to kindergarten next year. One big consideration is that he needs an IEP for speech therapy (among other things) and I'd like to have the IEP in place before the year starts, so that he doesn't have to wait until Christmas to receive services. I know how long the process can take (Deuce has an IEP because we were considering the autism scholarship for him, and it took months to get into place).
My youngest had his kindergarten screening today and I discussed this with the speech pathologist and she told me that he couldn't begin the MFE until the school year begins (after she confirmed that, yes, his speech is very bad and he would need therapy). She said that he had to be an enrolled student before the MFE could begin (which, he is... I enrolled him last week.. he had to be enrolled to go to the screening). I tried to tell her, that to my understanding, so long as I request the MFE in writing, the school had a timetable to follow, even if it is still so early. She continued to speak to me as if I were incapable of understanding that he had to be physically in the school every day efore they could begin testing.
Deuce wasn't enrolled in the district that did his MFE and IEP. I thought that law required that all children be tested, even homeschooled, (as long as the parent requests the test in writing). The school district may not be required to provide the services to children not enrolled, but they are still obligated to do the testing, and do it with the timeline that the law dictates. Am I correct in this way of thinking? Thanks for the help guys!
You're correct. Send the request in writing to the school and get it done ASAP. You are right ... they are wrong!