This is a BAD situation. I am a advocate, but in a situation like this I would consult with a lawyer or a very experienced advocate. These professionals do pro bono work and/or charge less if a family really has a low income. It would be worth every penny for you to show up with a legal professional since EVERYTHING they've done so far is entirely illegal. To understand a tiny bit of what they've done wrong, just search Child Find on www.wrightslaw.com Way too much has gone wrong over the years to deal with here. Yes, your child has an IEP now, but I wouldn't trust a Disrtrict like this as far as I could throw them. Also, getting the PERFECT IEP won't guarantee that it will be implemented properly. Go to www.copaa.org and click on the link to find an atty or advocate in your state. This District needs to have the riot act read to them by a pro.I guess I didn't mention that I called the SELPA-- which is the special education watchdog for our area's districts. They smacked the district, and I find that now when I have a problem, I call them first, and miraculously-- things happen.
I checked Wrights law for an attorney or advocate in my area-- there aren't any, except for the freebie guys I've been using. (We are in a rural area.)
The district knows that I'm not a marshmallow anymore. They know me well. I spent most of last year volunteering in 3 classrooms and writing a grant for them. I'm fairly sure that the superintendent looks at me as a valuable ally and a formidable enemy. It is a very small district.
Gotta go.
Well, I'm kind of in the same spot. While our school has appeared nice
and supportive along the way we had our IEP meeting yesterday and it
was beyond worthless. There are ways to write goal so that at first look
they seem to offer something but once you start to look at it closer yu
realize that there is no substance and enforcibility to it.
Since you already had problems with the school I'd strongly advice you to
hire an advocate or Special Education Lawyer to help with the process.
Wrightslaw.com has some referrals. They also have some
bookrecommendations for autism specfic IEP goal books. The IEP team
has to consider your input, be prepared and knowledgeable and do not
sign an IEP unless you are happy with it.
I'm new to all this.. here's the story in a (large) nutshell. When my son started Kindergarten, he had problems with oppositional and violent behavior.. (Okay, he had them at home too, but that's not my focus here) I went in for student study teams, behavior consults with the teacher & principal, etc-- I CRIED
In first grade, he lasted only a few weeks before he was sent to the "bad boy school". When the district could no longer afford to transport him, they brought him back, and he was worse than before. Soon after, I started writing letters to the school and I contacted a family advocate. I got a copy of our state's special education law. Quoting the law, I strongly requested that the school assess my son for special ed. Early in the assessment process, they told me that he wouldn't qualify-he's too smart.
At the same time, I had gotten a referral from our family doc to a psychiatrist. She dx him with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not otherwise specified as well as ADHD. (Upon researching this after the diagnosis-- this sounds exactly like him, and I'm angry at myself for not figuring this out sooner... another topic for another post...) Surprise Surprise-- now the school will "bend the rules" to qualify him. On the assessment papers I signed, there was an assessment called "functional behavior analysis". I asked about it and was told I had to have the entire IEP team's approval for that assessment. So, I came armed to our next meeting. Using their own legal terminology, ("Is my child's behavior affecting the his learning and the learning of others? Oh yeah!"), I requested "a functional behavioral analysis in preparation for creating a behavior intervention plan". That brought in a outside behaviorist, who also saw autistic characteristics in my son's behavior.
The school, the teacher, the staff, and the principal, had pretty much given up on my child, and were looking for another place to dump him. I refused to let them send him back to "bad boy school" without a fight.
We are now at the point of actually writing his IEP. I've fought so hard to get here, I'm not sure what to put in the IEP itself.
Small district or not, they HAVE to obey the law and you are smart to have gotten some back-up with this. I'd strongly suggest ordering From Emotions to Advocacy from www.wrightslaw.com as well as their book Special Education Law, second ed. (second ed. for FETA, too). While you're at it, go to your state ed website and ask them to send you a hard copy of your state's regulation of IDEA 2004. These are the basic books for learning your rights and how to advocate for your child. You're off to an excellent start!
Desplin, as mentioned above, the Wrightslaw website is very good, so I would definitely go there and click on the IEP link on the left-hand side. The only thing I can add is to make sure the goals are as specific as possible and that they jibe with the BIP. Also, the goals and BIP should be proactive and not only reactive.
Good luck. Although you may not have known the deal before, you were able to do some good things for your child.
If you want him back in public school, I would seriously consider another school. Once they pretty much lie to you about what they can and can't do for your child, look for ways to get rid of him and then refuse to take him back, the writing is on the wall. That school isn't going to do much for your son, not without some heavy hitters backing you up and talking "legalese" to them.
Since my first posting, I've read my way through most of From Emotions to Advocacy, and I'm partway through the Special Education Law, second edition-- which arrived yesterday. It looks like the State Law book I had was from prior to the IDEA 2004 changes, so I'm also looking up some of the changes on the state website.