update on school situation | Autism PDD

well, things are grinding along. I've got a meeting Monday morning with
folks from community living and the district, provided I can get someone to
watch Donny...

I'm trying to get the district to provide 15 hours per week, spread out over 5
days, and then the CLBC contract for 7.5 hours per week spread out over the
5 days also, so that Donny would have a total of 4 hours and 15 minutes per
day...

It's not alot, but beats the heck out of nothing. And, realistically, it would
probably be easier for Don to start out with a shorter day...

Wish me luck!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!

Good Luck!

I'm SO glad things are coming together. You, Donny, and your whole family deserve it. Keep keeping us posted.

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. WOW! That is so wonderful!!!! DANG!!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. 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....

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?