School | Autism PDD

My guess is that this school is one of the ones that is state approved and it doesn't require a hearing.  Good.  Get out FROM EMOTIONS TO ADVOCACY and read up  The Rule of Adverse Assumptions again.  If you line up all the "evidence" as though you WERE going to a hearing, it'll be JUST as effective as in the IEP meeting.  You made an excellent point about there being no use in sending your son to ANOTHER huge school if that is, at least in part, why his current placement has failed.  Keep us posted.

Diane -- What happened to the advocate your were supposed to be working with? 

Private school placements in schools that are on "state approved" lists are not that difficult, but placement in private schools that are NOT on those lists usually requires some form of Due Process.  It may not entirely be up to the school district. It may be something that a Hearing Officer must order.  The school sounds good, but the placement will have to be made on evidence.  Do you have your ducks in a row?  You certainly have excellent reasons for wanting your son in a different placement, so make your case in writing.  Write a "parent report."  Submit it to the IEP Team.  Use the objective evidence you can.  If you still are working with the advocate, he should be giving you this advice and leading you through it.

I have sent him emails and called him...but he hasn't replied.  I'm guessing he's really busy.

I am not going to postpone the meeting though.  I want my son out of this school...the sooner the better.  It's a charter school from what I've read.  The public school already approves it. 

However...the stipulations are these...the child has to have an IEP...check..got that. 
The child is usually has to be approved by the FAPT ...check....we had our first FAPT meeting last month...so that should be a little easier to get approved....and I also hand delivered the copy of the same letter to the school liason that has the authority to approve a child into another school...she was sitting in on the FAPT meeting last month...and she was the one that came with me when I visited the autistic school a few months ago....in case I thought that school was a good fit.

 I know it would make things a lot easier if I had help from the advocate, but I have to figure...a meeting this short of notice (I did request an emergency IEP though) the advocate may not be able to make.

BTW.....This is what it says in the pamphlet that I was given:
[quote]Students are referred to ***** schools through the public school systems' special education departments in conjunction with Community Policy and Management Teams (CPMT) and Family Assessment and Planning Teams (FAPT).[/quote]

The only part I'm not sure about...is the CPMT.  I have a meeting tomorrow with Family Preservation ....and I'll ask her what she knows about this.


Virginia Greys39202.5637962963Good make sure you stand your ground. Make sure they know you are unhappy with all that is going on with your son at this school.. Good Luck Just got a call from the principal.  The IEP meeting to discuss the move..is this coming Thursday. Crossing my fingers and toes for you Should I have a Due Process Letter prepared to give them...should they deny him going to this other school?  In other words....Have it ready to hand to them at the end of the IEP ...if they decide that he is fine where he is and don't offer a solution that would keep my son safer? Listen, I think that now that you have the advocate by the tail, you should USE him.  If you don't get what you want from simply asking the IEP Team, as a parent, and presenting the evidence you already have (bone up by reading as much of the pertinent part of FETA today), I'd "table" the meeting and tell them you'll reschedule when your advocate can attend. In fact, I'd call the advocate back TODAY and ask about possible next availaibilities for him.  DON'T START ANYTHING FORMAL without the advocate.  You could make things worse.  When I sent a "10-day" letter, I got behind-the-scenes advice from a lawyer first and had her read the letter and approve it before I gave it to the District (they have no idea I consulted a lawyer).  Try getting what you want for your son by yourself first, but if you don't, go STRAIGHT to the advocate.  Both you and I have sons old enough that there won't be time to straighten out mistakes the way there is when kids are younger.  Let us know how the meeting goes.I am just getting butterflies...and don't want to forget anything that I should do.  If they deny him this move...then I'll ask for another meeting to discuss it with my advocate.   Thanks...I don't want to do this alone...but I still feel alone right now...except for the support here that I've gotten so far. 

One day....and I hope soon...I won't need as much coaching and coaxing.
I agree with Joan, that your advocate should be reviewing your game plan with you for this IEP, even if he is unable to attend.  Surely he can squeeze in an hour to go over everything with you?  If not, then I would have to question whether you are getting your money's worth from him This is definitely a situation in which I would not attend an IEP meeting without a GOOD advocate. Hope it all works out with his schedule. Keep us in the loop.

I'm pm'ing you.

Got it!  Thanks for compiling that list .....I will definitely be able to use that in the upcoming future. 

You can certainly call an IEP meeting to discuss immediate issues like this, but the placement is going to have to wait until the testing is in, most likely.  I forget what testing you're waiting for.  Why not keep the IEP meeting appt. and address immediate issues that can be dealt with in the current placement.  The truth is, I don't think that anything you can do this late in the school year will help your son pass if he's not already pretty close to passing.  Plus, what's the point of "passing" if he hasn't learned anything. Sometimes, the year is simply wasted.  I understand that you are also trying to KEEP your son motivated in school. I'd present your REAL concerns to the IEP team at a meeting without the advocate.  Sit down right now and write them down on a list.  If you like, email me the list and I'll see if I can help you clarify them so that you focus on things that can be done right now.  Start with your real concerns.  We'll take it from there.

TZoya@aol.com

 

Some of the testing will be trying to find out why he's sleeping in class and not able to do his classwork.  He's being tested for Assisted Technology (since a previous file shows that he was suppose to be given AT and never was).  He's being tested again in OT, to determine if he is still having the same problems with his hand that was having 5 to 7 years ago...which had the school providing an OT to work with his hand (strength training) and then ultimately teaching him to type so that he could be given AT, but instead the school gave him notes that were written by other students with a carbon paper (for a few weeks) and then for awhile (a month or so) some teachers would give him the class notes...all written in cursive that he couldn't read.  This was all at the end of 6th grade and beginning of 7th (4 years ago).  This was when my son began to fail from getting no support and I ended up pulling him out of school and homeschooling him for 2.5 years.

He's also being given psychological testing (is that to see if they agree with the dx of aspergers?...since she had me fill out that one test for asperger's).  Why else have me fill that out?...right?

He's also getting tested to see if he has a language processing disorder possibly.

I realize that the school can't properly place him permanantly till all the testing is in..that's why I was only asking for him to be moved for safety sake till the end of this year...and then AFTER the testing was all in .... that we could then determine the proper placement according to the tests.   (I put that all in my request for this upcoming IEP meeting.)

 I just don't want to keep sending him to this school day after day where he is having to deal with these kids that are harrassing him daily....and he's continuing to fail.
Testing won't be back till after school is over....so till then...my son is suppose to be afraid to ride the bus, afraid to walk the halls and afraid to be in classes?  He's failing all his core subjects (English, Biology, Geography and Geometry).  I'm not talking about barely failing....he's grade percentage in these classes range from the 10% to the 40% on a scale of 0-100%.  The teachers are in non compliance most all the time (more than 75% of the time since January) with not sending the weekly progress reports home to me.  (He has an IEP...and it's written in the IEP... that I'm to receive weekly progress reports).

yes...we're in the middle of a re-evaluation, but what about his current IEP?  Does that mean that while he's in re-evalation that the school can care less about him not passing?  His IEP states "By June 2007, **** will be passing all classes with a 70% or better."

So...does this mean that the school can't be held to this?  The school is not doing anything to help him and they are saying that they won't now until the testing is done.  Then add on top of that the bullying, harrassment and assaults.  I don't get this.

Why should I pay an advocate 0 to go to an IEP meeting that the school won't do what is right for the time being??

I am not mad at anyone here...I am so darn frustrated with the school system it's not funny.

Since he's failing those core subjects....does he have to continue going to those classes? 

The only glimmer of light we have right now is one teacher...geography..that teacher is the only teacher willing to help my son try to bring his grade up...he has a 40 some % in her class...mostly for not turning in assignments (he is so disorganized it's not funny)...so she will be giving me assignments once a week to help him with and I'll be bringing them in personally to assure that he turns them in (he forgets to do that too when he does do a project).  She wants to help him, because she says that she knows he "knows" the material, but it's getting him to finish the classwork and homework that is his core problem....and that's bringing down his grades.  The other core subject teachers said that it's "too late" for him to catch up.

Your advocate is right.  Placement is based on decisions that can only be made when Present Levels of Performance are known.  The testing is going to give you the Present Levels of Performance.  When did you ask for the testing?  It HAS to be done in enough time for the results to be known, discussed at an IEP meeting and the services IN PLACE by the 60th day (in NY, it's school days....don't know about Va).  My point is that if they're dragging their feet about the testing, that is where you should be putting your emphasis.

What I would do know is email them about why they want to meet BEFORE the testing is in. 

I know this seems like torture.  But the LAST thing you want is to go to the immense trouble of using an advocate to get your son into a placement that turns out to be bad for him, too.  I know you say there are not other options, but there are ALWAYS options.  Not necessarily different schools but different supports.  The truth is, it doesn't matter if this is the only option. The school won't legitimately be able to place him there until ALL the evidence is in.

I forget -- what is the testing supposed to discover?

Tzoya ...I re-read that one section of FETA.  I've typed up some info from experts about Bullys and how we've done what the school said (turned in the bullys, etc.)...but the problem continues to happen. 

Oh...my advocate emailed me last night...he was out of town..that's why he hadn't responded to my emails or calls.  He can't make this IEP meeting...too short of notice.  I am going anyway...and at least try to do this myself.  If they decline....well...I don't want to think that way...but it could happen.
Here's what I received from the advocate tonight

[quote]9:30 may work for me, but I bet that they will say wait until after the evaluation is done.

Let me know and I will double check my schedule. [/quote]

The evaluation won't be finished until AFTER school is out!

so ...why ask for him to be moved to this one school.... if they aren't going to do so at this time?  So why even have an IEP meeting to discuss something that won't happen??  I don't have other choices except to move him to another school....and the only ones that are available....are large schools....and then they will just overwhelm him completely.

I want to scream!

[QUOTE=Virginia Greys] Thanks Karen....I just can't thank you enough for holding my hand at times throughout these last few months.  At times I wanted to scream...remember?  Thanks for the editing too....and I hope you know that I will probably need you some more in the future...but we have a reprieve for now...right?

You're getting your reprieve just as I'm getting reading to go into battle again over the speech therapy issue

Hopefully, the SD will cooperate because otherwise you might have to go to Due Process. It woud be cheaper to pay for the speech yourself.  But email me anyway.

[QUOTE=tzoya]

My pm doesn't work here. Email me at TZoya@aol.com and put something in the subject to let me know it's you.

Hopefully, the SD will cooperate because otherwise you might have to go to Due Process. It woud be cheaper to pay for the speech yourself.  But email me anyway.

[/QUOTE]

Will email you sometime next week with the full story.  I already assumed I would have to file for Due Process, but figure I can work out a settlement in mediation.  Not going the attorney route this time, because the whole thing is so cut and dry.  What possible rebuttal can they have?  His IEP for the past two years says that he is to receive 30 minutes of group therapy a week, and he has received none.  The battle is going to be over non-public vs. in school.  But this is a mainstreamed, upper middle schooler in the gifted program who also takes honors classes.  Hard for them to argue that the extra pullout time wouldn't interfere with his academic achievement.  But we can discuss it more next week.  Thanks so much, Joan!

IBGECKO39213.5050925926email me when you get a chance and ask me specific questions and I'll answer them. I'm starting my practicum and I'll never remember. For those following the saga here....I got through to someone and my son's last day at his current school is today.  He goes there for a test that is part of his evaluation...then starts his new school on Monday.

The new school is on a trial basis to see how he does in a very structured environment and with more 1:1 help.  If he does well there, and the results of all the testing that he is going through on reevaluation show that he needs this type of environment..then he might be going there in the fall as well.

We will need to see what all the tests show though...and then go from there.

I'm just glad that he's being given a chance and he's out of the *evil school* (sorry Karen....had to use that *evil school*)...now that he's out of there.
Virginia Greys39213.2077083333WOW, Diane, YOU DID IT!!!  You advocated for your son and he's getting a new start.  If this school is right for him, it will be right for him. Testing is important, but if your son shows progress in the new environment, that counts even more.  Also, if his IEP shows this placement (which it MUST if they're sending him there), that will be his pendency placement if you decide to go to Due Process over keeping him there. Of course, you won't want him to stay should it prove to not be the correct placement.  But if it IS the correct placement, that will trump anything a test says.  Please keep us posted.  Are you going to keep the advocate in the loop?Thanks....it was a tough week last week and then when I didn't hear back from them...it was even tougher...but finally I got the call on Wednesday that he had been approved for this other school...on a trial basis (Thanks tzoya for helping me there) 

I have been in touch with my advocate by email mostly.  He's also the doctor that will be doing the psych-educational...and so we are waiting for the school to finish their evals...then after they are done..then I'll ask for the private eval with my advocate doing some of those evals.

He has been a lot of help too....and he did tell me about this school...or else I might be still spinning my wheels if he hadn't thought of it...since obviously the school wasn't going to suggest it. He's happy that it worked out too....and now Greg can focus on school instead of worrying too about being picked on constantly.

Thanks for all the help too....I just can't express my gratitude enough for the help and support that I've gotten here.  I am still so new at all the legal info that I should have known 7 years ago...and I feel like I'm taking a crash course right now.

I feel like this is the first time that the school is finally "trying" to help my son...which is a start.

I wish I could crawl through the computer screen and give tzoya and IBGECKO a HUGE hug right now. Your son getting help and you feeling empowered to help him is more than enough thanks for me!((((((tzoya))))))) anyway!  Words can't express how happy I am to hear that Greg will be starting Rivermont on Monday!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the proper placement, because if it is, you will just be amazed at how quickly he will be able to rebound from the horrors he has been through.  I thought it was going to take years to put the pieces back together, when in fact it only took months.  Connor moved to his new school exactly the same time in the school year as Greg, and in the 5 weeks before the school year ended, he had already showed huge improvements both academically and behaviorally.  And most important, he was happy.  Getting this placement is huge Diane.  Way to go! [QUOTE=IBGECKO]Words can't express how happy I am to hear that Greg will be starting Rivermont on Monday!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the proper placement, because if it is, you will just be amazed at how quickly he will be able to rebound from the horrors he has been through.  I thought it was going to take years to put the pieces back together, when in fact it only took months.  Connor moved to his new school exactly the same time in the school year as Greg, and in the 5 weeks before the school year ended, he had already showed huge improvements both academically and behaviorally.  And most important, he was happy.  Getting this placement is huge Diane.  Way to go! [/QUOTE]

Thanks Karen....I just can't thank you enough for holding my hand at times throughout these last few months.  At times I wanted to scream...remember?  Thanks for the editing too....and I hope you know that I will probably need you some more in the future...but we have a reprieve for now...right?

Today I took Greg back for a test today at his "old school"..and then for him to return his ROTC uniform and so on....one of the teachers that knows Greg pretty well came over to my van and told me that when he saw me yesterday it was the first time that he has seen me that I looked relaxed.  He could see that the weight had been lifted off my shoulders and that he felt that I was doing what was right too...and he said that Greg needed more help than his current school could provide.  He knows that Greg is special and hopes that I will keep him up to date on how Greg does and where he goes.  That made me good.  He gave Greg a handshake and a hug.  He was the one teacher that Greg felt that he could "talk" to.

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