update on school situation
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| Things are finally coming together!!!
Last week, I heard from the resource teacher. He wanted us to pick one of Donny's last year IEP goals and work on it  The man is soooo clueless.
We were supposed to be combining last years IEP with the mock IEP I drew up for this new program, and developing a working IEP for Don's new proposed educational program. I told him this, he didn't seem to get it...whaaaaatever. He said that the school district was still waiting to hear back from community living about contracting a worker. So, I called the district, and confirmed this. I asked them to please let me know the moment they connected. I then called community living (my employer) and left a message for the director to please make Donny's contract a priority, as it's time sensitive. Anyway, I heard from the district the next day, and they'd heard from community living, gotten the go ahead, but there were no details yet. Then, at the community living dance last night at work, I heard it directly from the supervisor of Children's Services: Donny is getting 4 hours a day, 5 days a week!!!! Yippeee! So, starting the end of this month, Donny will have a new, community- based educational program for four hours per day. He'll be going bowling, swimming, doing recycling, hiking, etc., and learning in a natural environment this way. He'll have 1-1 staffing from community living (paid for by the school district) for this. He'll be shadowed by a school para, for up to 3 hours per day, to build a positive relationship. Then, come January, they'll start having the para do some functional academics with him in a self-contained classroom, and then he'll go out for his community time afterwards. Eventually, they'll start doing some preferred activities with a regular class (gym, art, etc.). The goal is to slowly intigrate him back into school over the next school year or two. I'm VERY excited about this! On top of it all, Don was just approved, temporarily, for 7 1/2 hours of one to one worker per week! This is recreational rather than educational, but still goal-focussed. So, I'm going from a child who's been at home with no services, to getting almost 30 hours of services a week! I'm soooooo happy about this - I can't wait. I just KNOW Donny will thrive with this program.  WOW! This is so fantastic. I am so happy for Donny and for you. This plan sounds wonderful.That is great news!That sounds like such a great plan for him. I'm really impressed. Good luck!That's the best news! I am so happy for you guys.  That really sounds like a great program!! I hope he does well and enjoys it!! Good luck and keep us posted on how he is doing!! WOW! That is so wonderful!!!! I'm SO glad things are coming together. You, Donny, and your whole family deserve it. Keep keeping us posted. I knew it was too good to be true...I got a call from the district this morning, and they say all is not said and done afterall, that they're still talking numbers and dollars. They low- balled me, asking "what do I think of four hours a day, 3 days per week?" I SUCK at haggling, and hate it. I feel like if I say "no", that's not enough, I'll wind up with nothing. On the other hand, if I take it, Donny's getting less then half-time (full-time is 30 hours/week). I said I'd settle for 4 hours a day, 4 days a week (sixteen hours per week). I told her that Community Living had told me I'd be getting 20 hours per week, so I was frustrated and disappointed. So now I've got to sit around and wait for them to counter....DANG!!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. They've got to be breaking some kind of law by doing this. Donny is 10 years old! Doesn't he legally have to be provided with an education every day? I suck at haggling too and usually end up settling. Maybe you need an advocate to do this for you? I agree with NYMommy, aren't they breaking a law by not providing him with a full education? Maybe ask Tzoya. I'm in Canada, and our special education laws aren't nearly as clear, or strong, as yours. Our children are entitled to a "free and appropriate education", and the recommendation is that this take place in a regular classroom with same aged peers. If the child is unable to be placed in a regular classroom, for health or behaviour reasons, an alternate setting is allowed, as long as the school district takes reasonable measures to return the child to a regular classroom setting as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the law doesn't say full-time. However, I can argue that "appropriate" = full time, since that's what Donny's same-aged peers have... We don't have advocates for education here. The Child and Youth Office, which is responsible for advocacy, specifically does not cover education - just everything else. There are no parent advocates or parent support people in my area. So, it's a lawyer or nothing. I'm hoping that I can work the system on my own. I'm scared of involving a lawyer and losing all our savings... Any lawyers that would work pro bono? (yeah ... I know ... ) Have you tried to call legal aid and explain your situation? Do you have this in Canada? It just doesn't seem right to me! |
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