What happened to FAPE? | Autism PDD
I am in the middle of "fighting" for AJ's speech THROUGH the school now. Yes, it is true, we are going for outside help. However, when I talked to the Special Ed director, he said the school will not pay for outside help as they have their OWN speech therapists this year. I KNOW AJ's teacher is doing her BEST for each and ALL 20 children in her classroom. Nonetheless, the really screwed us on AJ's IEP last year! Now I have no other choice but to FIGHT! Get this...they were eely to where what was written in his "new" IEP to where the speech therapist didn't even come here once a week! Here they wrote down "...(upon request).." I am steeping in my own tea kettle right now, AND I REFUSE to give up the FIGHT!Screeech...what type of school program is AJ in, or is he mainstreamed. My son is in an Autism class that has a teacher and 2 aides. The state law and special ed law for my state and county is a max of 8 kids. When they tried to add more kids I pulled up the laws and talked to the other parents in the class and we wrote a letter that was sent to every "home" school district that had a child in this out of district class. Needless to say, the class size stayed at 8 and they have never tried to mess with us since, that was almost a year ago. The parents who's name were on that letter get everything the want for their child.Here my son (4) will get (RU READY?) 1 30 minute session of ST in his class room with 'collabiration' from a SLT.Same with OT, what a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am getting really, really upset with all this. But, since they still have not called me for his IEP meeting and he is NOT going to school without a new IEP with a behavior and sensory IEP, it is all mute anyway. How very, very sad............Wow ... dh and I always wanted to put our kids in private school
and with what everyone is saying here, I don't see why we
shouldn't!! (Well, once Luke is mainstreamed anyway.) It'll
cost us a lot of money whther we choose to go private OR public!
I never knew things had changed so much ...
Kellie
We don't have locker fees but have to supply our own combo locks....the supply lists kill me too..we used to go to school with a pencil!! ok, long time ago!
Middle school list was THE WORST...32 items on the list (59 things total)....Art Portfolio???? Post its, post it flags ... good lord...how did they learn before-hand?
My littlest needed ... in addition to everything else...2 boxes of facial tissues, 2 boxes of ziploc bags, 2 rolls of paper towels...only 20 items, 35 things total.....why he needs 4 glue sticks AND a bottle of glue I'll never know!
High school supplies were the least....spirals/pens/pencils...but with the fees plus cost of books...UGH. What kills me is that those fees went up too this year, but a referendum didn't pass last year, and they lost their band, wrestling/gymnastics team, 1/2 of woodshop classes, art classes, 35 teachers, on and on. Yet we're still paying what we did before and more.
I'm just floored by it all, every year more expensive, it's ridiculous, yet we have to fight and fight and fight to just get them educated. Why is that???? Boy, we're going to be hungry this month!!
I am more than willing to pay for AJ to get a decent eduation. When we go to Sam's Club, we pick up those big (three in a pack) wipes, paper towels, baby wipes and anything else I can think of to help THEM as they are helping my child to succeed. I don't think it's ethical to cut what's provided for school children
before cutting the salaries/benefits of the school administrators --
when was the last time THEY took a cut?! (And I DON'T mean
teachers, many of whom are dedicated and hard-working, trying the best
the can with what they're given.) I also don't understand why
schools need to have brand-spaking-new textbooks every year. We
had hand-me-downs when I went to school. I can see if the child
damages the book or loses it, having the parents pay to replace it ...
but new books every year?! Then again, I don't like the fact that
our representatives are given the task of 'fixing' social security and
Medicare when they themselves will never have to be on those programs
-- maybe I'm just crazy! Kellie....AMEN SISTER! AMEN AMEN! Ok,....... Im having an EXTREMELY BAD DAY! I am so upset... School is to start next Tuesday. For those who don't recall, Tyler had major problems all last year with his IEP NOT being followed and he never received the services he was supposed to have according to his IEP let alone the services he NEEDED and was DENIED! Because of the lack of communication, failure to follow the IEP and some very poor judgement on the part of the school with preparing the kids for upcoming changes in redistricting (amongst some other issues) Tyler suffered regression and was pulled from school for the last 2 weeks. The school was uncooperative in the whole process refusing to send me information I requested in writing, waiting to respond to requests I had, and calling me with less than 24 hour notice to schedule an IEP meeting or wait until the following school year to have it. (I was unable to get the advocate and his therapist and autism specialist to attend the meeting on such minimal notice) We did have a meeting the week following but it meant nothing as the school was unable to agree to anything or put anything in writing. AS I said school starts next week. He was re districted and is being sent to a new school building he is unfamiluar with. They have done NOTHING special to help him with the transfer. The have NOT had him meet the new staff, walked him through the routines there for bus or playground, have NOT given him a map of the (very small) building. Have NOT done anything to reduce his anxiety... The only thing they did do was have a field trip for all kids being transfered to go to before the school year ended. (This he missed due to the regression which may not have been a bad thing since my 2nd grade daughter went and met her new teacher only to find out Thursday last week that never mind someone else will be the teacher instead! ~Like he would have needed any more changes!) They also had a school open house (?) this past Sunday which was a joke! First off, my daughter got a post card to invite her to attend, but my son never got a post card. We read it in the flyer they sent on Saturday that it was scheduled for the following day for all students. Of course we went, but 1/2 the teachers weren't even there! I did introduce him to the 1st, and 2nd grade teachers and let them know he has autism. The 3rd grade teacher already knows him because that teacher came from his old school. I introduced him to his teacher and talked to her about him and also handed her a letter and information I put together about him and autism. We also met the librarian and the gym teacher is the same teacher from his old school. He was not able to meet the 5th or 6th grade teacher (only 1 teacher per grade and no kindergarten at the building) He was also unable to meet the music teacher, art teacher, or any of his classmates. The whole thing was a JOKE. You walk in the door get a nametag go buy school gym shirts, and other school items for sale (hats, hoodies, t's etc) and then you just walked and explored the building on your own! Nothign scheduled... no order to it just chaos and kids running and playing on the playground! I do plan to put together a brief letter to each of the teachers there about Tyler with his picture at the top so they will know about him in hopes that it will help should he have any trouble in the hall and encounter a teacher who obviously knows nothing about him. I was told by the principal who is also the special ed director there are only 6 kids in the building who have an IEP. I am sure not all of them need special ed classes. Tyler DOES NEED special ed classes but the school is refusing to acknowledge his need for them. (I am waiting for the new IEP meeting to be scheduled which they tell me they can't do until after the first day of school so likely it will be scheduled sometime during or after the second week of school.) I have been approved for an Independent Evaluation paid for at the school's expense and have sent the paperwork into the dr office and am waiting for them to call back with an appointment day and time. I do have an advocate going to the IEP meeting with me as well as his therapist, and the autism specialist but they were present during the last meeting and it was still a disaster! I also now have a case manager for him who will attend the meeting and possibly his respite provider. In addition he was rediagnosed over the summer with (classic) autism and his diagnosis of OCD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder are also in the report. HOPEFULLY it will get him the help he desperately needs! Heres the problem,... I just spoke with the case manager today. I told her due to the problematic IEP and failure to provide the services he needs, and failure to give him any type of transitional support, that I wanted her to get someone to go to school with him daily until they got an appropriate IEP in place. She says the school wont allow that! I asked her HOW they can deny it if the insurance is paying for it. She said they will. I told her someone needed to get a backbone and STAND UP to the school that this is ridicilous! I am NOT ABOUT to go through him starting the school year off with no supports for them to say lets wait it out and say hes doing "ok" and suggest giving him more time to see where he is and basically drag their feet ANOTHER year and avoid the issue AGAIN! I dont need the regression all over again!!! The case manager said she would call the special ed director but she didn't see this happening. She also said she was told the school district did not have the funds in their budget to provide this help for him, so he will have to go without the additional supprts. THAT was the last straw! EXCUSE ME!!?? WHAT DOES FAPE MEAN???? The school IS to provide the services he NEEDS correct? In the event they can not provide the services he needs they are to pay to have him receive them elsewhere or pay and provide the transportation for him to get them at a different school CORRECT? Will someone PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW this can happen? How can the school just IGNORE the needs of a child because they don't want to spend the money on them? How are they able to say a child doesnt need it despite the recommendations of the advocate and therapists? I'm FURIOUS! FAPE my A**! REGARDLESS,.... school is to start Tuesday and he has NO SUPPORTS in place! How am I supposed to send him? HOW can I HELP him? OMG Michelle...this is heartwrenching. Unbelievable that they're still doing this to him. I'm so sorry people are this callous. [QUOTE=MsSteelersFan] The case manager said she would call the special ed director but she didn't see this happening. She also said she was told the school district did not have the funds in their budget to provide this help for him, so he will have to go without the additional supprts. THAT was the last straw! EXCUSE ME!!?? WHAT DOES FAPE MEAN???? The school IS to provide the services he NEEDS correct? In the event they can not provide the services he needs they are to pay to have him receive them elsewhere or pay and provide the transportation for him to get them at a different school CORRECT? Will someone PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW this can happen? How can the school just IGNORE the needs of a child because they don't want to spend the money on them? How are they able to say a child doesnt need it despite the recommendations of the advocate and therapists? I'm FURIOUS! FAPE my A**! [/QUOTE] You are so correct here....until they meet Tyler's needs, I would INSIST that they provide in-home education under the protection of IDEA and FAPE! (a) General. (1) As used in this part, the term special education means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including- (i) Instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings; and (ii) Instruction in physical education. (2) The term includes each of the following, if it meets the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section: (b) Individual terms defined. The terms in this definition are defined as follows: (1) At no cost means that all specially-designed instruction is provided without charge, but does not preclude incidental fees that are normally charged to nondisabled students or their parents as a part of the regular education program. (i) Means the development of- (A) Physical and motor fitness; (B) Fundamental motor skills and patterns; and (C) Skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports (including intramural and lifetime sports); and (ii) Includes special physical education, adapted physical education, movement education, and motor development. (3) Specially-designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction- (i) To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child's disability; and (ii) To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that he or she can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children. (4) Travel training means providing instruction, as appropriate, to children with significant cognitive disabilities, and any other children with disabilities who require this instruction, to enable them to- (i) Develop an awareness of the environment in which they live; and (ii) Learn the skills necessary to move effectively and safely from place to place within that environment (e.g., in school, in the home, at work, and in the community). (5) Vocational education means organized educational programs that are directly related to the preparation of individuals for paid or unpaid employment, or for additional preparation for a career requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree. ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------- OK, more info than you probably need right now...but I'm furious...and motivated.
US Dept of Education (although I'd suggest going to the state board of education web sites...I found while the laws are very similar, the more specific I was to saying "Illinois Law states....." the better off I was. Good lord....I'm sure you know this already...but Ohio has an "Office of Policy and Accountability" I'd write every single person there a letter.....(you are in Ohio right?!?) Ohio Autism Scholarship Program The continuation of the Autism Scholarship Program in 2005-2006 was approved by the Ohio Legislature. Services for the 2005-2006 school year began on July 1, 2005. Ohio Legal Rights Services Lesley Thanks SO much! You can rest assured I WILL be making calls and checkingout the links and info you have posted! I have already begin documentation, and just spoke with my dad about taking this to the news media and exposing the school as well as the county due to their lack of help that they promise and dont follow through with but thats another story. I will update when I know something...... Ya never know you all may just see hear or read about us in the news! BTW Lesley Yes I am in grand ol Ohio *cough*
Where I live my son gets speech in school. One hour a week...they break it up into 2 sessions and it is a speech and language pathologist that is doing his sessions with him. He also gets private speech that our insurance pays for. I don't know where you are and I guess every state is different but it doesn't sound right to me that his teacher is doing the speech therapy unless she is trained to do so?? I would check on this one if I were you to make sure that the school is providing all they can as far as your state/district is concerned. Michelle, I'm so sorry that you are still having these problems with that darn school!! I really wish that I were more savy on the school systems so that I could give you some good advise but as it is I don't so all I can offer is support and a big hug!! Take care and keep fighting!! Karrie Last year my son's registration was . Our tax referrendum didn't pass, so this year it was 5. And this isn't for "normal" school. His Lasso (Autism) program through special ed, the same class they said he had to be in. Its outrageous! He's 4 y/o. Then add the school supplies, clothes, snack lists, etc. People with $ issues worry about having more kids because they want to make sure they can feed them, now you have to make sure you can afford to put them in a public school. Not to mention, we pay all this money, and teachers don't even make that much. They should get raises with the increase in registration. What part is free???? To see my littlest try to lift his backpack....priceless... ~Lesley Actually my kids like going to get school supplies,even though they don't need them since the school furnishes them. And these too disappear out of the backpack. They are probably keeping them at school. Funny thing is though, on the last day of school, I am sent home more school supplies than I initially sent in the first place. So go figure, lol. Tammy I understand about fees for school. My oldest is a junior and just for lab fees, workbooks, and locker fee I pay over 150.00 a year! TJ starts preschool Wednesday and the supply list from his teacher surprised me. Mind you this is a special ed preschool with 10 kids in it. Backpack, change of clothes in a plastic shoebox, diapers(if needed), 4 glue sticks, 2 bottles of ELMERS school glue, 1-4can pack of playdoh, watercolor paint set, kleenex, box of babywipes, single subject note book and a 2 pocket folder. Ooh yea each kid in the morning needs to bring a pump bottle of hand sanitizer and the afternnon needs to bring hand soap. The playdoh and watercolors kinda shocked me. I guess I thought that was supplied. When my oldest went to preschool at the school district all she needed was a back pack for school, and her preschool was totally free. I guess times are changing. I was told by a freind of mine that teachers are gettting less and less " supplied supplies" from the school district and they end up buying a lot of necessary supplies them self. What are we going to do. The schools got us by the horns- the kids need to be educated. KAthy Locker fees? They really don't supply lockers? Why on earth do they need money for that, afterall I would assume they've already purchased the lockers a long time ago. In Florida they don't have any of the registration fees or book fees. But every year I get a supply list (a huge list) that costs me well over 0 sometimes a lot more. And then before the end of the year I get another supply list. I just don't get it cause I know they give these lists out to all the parents the first day of school and I know we all buy extra. You know instead of buying 1 box of tissues we buy it in bulk and give 3 boxes. So how do they manage to run out before the end of the year? We also get a list of monies they need for parties and get togethers that they have throughout the year. So its a good thing I don't have to pay registration fees or I'd be more broke than I already am
Tammy
Oh I can't agree with you more!!!
I was stunned to find out our elem. admin makes K/year...she's not teaching mind you....and the teachers don't make anywhere near that!!
Here's another killer...books! UGH! Last year, one of my son's high school books cost us . He had to return it at the end of the year (!?), only to find a credit of . The book was in perfect condition...they reuse them too...so they're charging someone else this year. His books totalled 0 this year...for 3 used books, one of which they wanted to charge him 3 for...luckily he had a friend working the sale, and she found him one for ....WHAT'S the deal?!?! I barely will pay that for books that I actually get to KEEP!
This is the same high school that last year, the referendum didn't pass, and they lost most of the art classes, gymnastics team, band, woodshop, autoshop, lost about 30 teachers, the principal and the superintendent....budget cuts. Of course they replaced the princ. and supers. FREE my @$$!
OK, thanks for listening...I feel better!
~Lesley :)
First - I really think you need to call a lawyer. There are pro-bono lawyers available, hard to find sometimes, but they're out there. Is a "case manager" the same as an advocate??? If they are, can you request a new one, because in my opinion, for them to say "they won't do that" from your advocate is NOT an advocate you can rely on, nor is that person looking out for your best interests. You obviously have things well documented...I'd send everything you just wrote (with background obviously) to your county Legal Aid office...frankly, I'd also send it to any and every news media in your area and beyond...and to the school principal, district super, Dept of Ed. regional super, state super, and whoever else. The whole thing sounds like they're breaking so many rules...copy everybody at the end of your letter.
I'm not sure where you should start. I agree, starting him out where they don't have things in place can be detrimental...I'm sure your docs can attest. I think I'd have to get those letters sent first...
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§300.26 Special education.
Start quoting the law Michelle, they obviously need to know that YOU KNOW they are neglecting their DUTY to provide an appropriate education. But don't stop there either...repeat over and over that you aren't asking for special treatment, just what your son needs, and it's documented that he needs it. Find a lawyer, write the letters, and be on their case daily....this is WRONG...way WRONG! I'm SO SORRY YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS AT ALL...I WISH I COULD MAKE IT BETTER FOR YOU OR YOUR SON.
I have relatively little to offer, but if you need help locating services (I know---funny --- oh queen of finding services!) I will help in any way possible....please just let me know....this is wrong...I'd love to be able to help just a little.
~Lesley
http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/edpicks.jhtml?src=ln
IDEA policy/laws:
http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/accountability/staff.asp
Autism Scholarship Program
Please note that individuals/entities approved as registered private providers for the purpose of the Autism Scholarship Program (ASP) may not provide all services required by a child’s individualized education program (IEP). Parents should ensure that all services included on their child’s IEP will be/are being provided by a registered private provider(s) approved to provide services under the ASP.
3301-103-1
3301-103-4
3301-103-7
3301-103-2
3301-103-5
3301-103-8
3301-103-3
3301-103-6
3301-103-9
http://olrs.ohio.gov/asp/olrs_FSCHomePage.asp
5 Supplies x3 (not clothes)
3 High School registration
0 High School books (what??? books aren't supplied ???)
7 Middle School registration
$ 77 Elementary registration
have no such fees in our public schools in California. I've never had to
pay for books for my DS (he starts middle school 9/6), and I used to get a
supply list and send him off on the first day with everything on the list,
only to have it all disappear within a week. Now I ask the teachers what
they need. I've even bought video games for his special ed teacher who
has a Gamecube in the class that the kids earn time on. All in all, I can't
complain.
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