I think your lawyer's advice is good. DO NOT START OUT IN AN ADVERSARIAL WAY. It's fine to have a lawyer advising you, but do the IEP Meeting yourself. If your school district sees you as threatening right away, they will clam up. I would forget all the horror stories you hear. Assume that , if given the right information, your IEP Team will do the right thing. The fact that they are fully cooperating with your own evaluator is a GOOD sign. You have no way of knowing why another child/family didn't do so well (at least in their personal opinion). Our jobs as the best advocates for our kids is to try very hard to develop a GOOD relationship with our schools and maintain it. To do that, we must be informed about what they HAVE to do for our kids, so getting extra advice (from a lawyer or advocate) is an excellent idea. But bringing in big guns before there is even an issue is not the best tactic, IMHO. Also (although this varies from lawyer to lawyer), lawyers are TRAINED to be adversarial. Their job in life is to WIN, not to work things out in a cooperative way. Advocates are more trained in cooperation (please, lawyers out there, don't jump down my throat -- I'm generalizing to make a point). The point is, the help you get must HELP, not hurt. Please read FROM EMOTIONS TO ADVOCACY to try to learn to get what your child needs without leaving a trail of blood in your path. That will never help your child. My best advice to you is BE OPEN, BUT BE PREPARED.Lalloo,
Until this year, I always attended the IEP without the attorney. I would
consult with one before and show him a copy of the IEP before I signed it.
The district always reconvened the IEP and I only signed it after I felt that
is was a pretty good deal. My attorney who has 2 children on the
spectrum as well only charged me for the original consult fee for a long
while. This year is different and he is on a retainer with us. If you can
eek out a good home ABA program with a good quality ABA vender
during yr IEP great. I do want to add that my regional center funds a part
of my sons ABA program and they have never given me a problem about
it. He is five.
Things at hearings have been going on the side of SD's lately so if you
can somehow negotiate the deal it will be easier in the long run. Frankly,
your son is so young that regional center should be paying up for ABA as
well.
Good Luck. I hope you are on the wait list at different ABA agencies. One
of my favorite ones is right in yr city.Tzyoa not all staff will help in the iep meetings. I tried that way and for 3 years the same iep failed our son for 3 years. Last year was Se all day and progress happened in 1 sumester. I was told keep this if that worked. Problem here is that teacher only is a k-3 GRADE LEVELS and our son is 11 now and they sent back anyone over grade 3 back to the regular schools. Remember also poor areas are not properly staffed also even in Se and lack enough programs. If you are paying someone to represent you, they should share the same basic views as you and go in fighting as well. It's just my opinion, but you can always hire someone else. I hope this guy can help you.
Good luck, wish I had some advice. But please keep us posted.
Daniel's mom is right schools are out for themselves. Last week, During a heated conservation J- resource teacher admitted J-had a form of Autism! Last year school said J had signs but didn't think she had it. Anyways, her IEP will be changed with the proper titles. It took the SPED dept a year to admit the trueth.
We shouldn't need lawyer's either. Schools are out for themselves in my opinion. I was told that Severe kids will only get iep's in the comeing years. They think adhd is everything and it all needs meds. Sadly some of us know more about disabilities then the staff do unless they have Se degrees. I let our Super now all we disliked here and he wanted to stop the meeting. What a jerk!
On a happy note I am getting free ABA from a friend of our's who can't teach anymore cause he has cancer/high thyroid. ABA is his specialty.
We are working on starting a program ourself at home once R starts school in November
My advice applies only to schools in the United States or schools run for the children of the military overseas. Those are REQUIRED to follow IDEA 2004 as well. You must get a copy of From Emotions To Advocacy to help you advocate for your child unless you have access to an advocate or lawyer to help you. This is not easy, but ALL US schools MUST obey the law.Here is a little update that might help u guys... I informed the school administration in writing that I want my private psychlogist to go in and observe,... gave them the choice of dates and they picked one. I also spoke to my ds's teacher (who is a sweetheart and knows the importance of an ABA program) and I gave her a heads up. She is the one who recommended that I get him private ABA in the summer and it was her friend who did it. So she knows.... and today she said "I just want u to know that things r looking good for you"... I know she is fighting for my son on her turf and it made all the difference in the world to me...I don't have any suggestions or advice, just want to wish you luck!! Hope you get what you need and hope this lawyer can help you!So I went to see a sp. ed. lawyer yesterday... The nicest guy... he has 2 kids on the spectrum as well. I did not want to do the lawyer thing,until I went to a support meeting and heard horror stories about school district not giving people what they wanted and how they lied to some and told them there kids were progressing fine (until the kid had to be admitted into a half day pysch. ward to stabilize his stims and self injerous behaviors