-------------------- life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage -- anais nin Posts: 8337 | From the other shore | Registered: Jul 2002
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shazdancer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1436
posted
What a great find, Mo. Thanks! I believe my son's IEP review comes up in June or July. And they will have some 'splaining to do....
Regards, Shaz
Posts: 1558 | From the Berkshires | Registered: Jul 2001
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If you have an IEP, you have allot more power that you realize!
Know the Law and use it!
I thought I'd shoot this out to Mom's who might benefit.
Onward Mama Bears!
Mo
-------------------- life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage -- anais nin Posts: 8337 | From the other shore | Registered: Jul 2002
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TheCrimeOfLyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4019
posted
I have my son's IEP on the 31st. At the BEGINNING of the school year, his learning support teacher called me and said "he doesn't need learning support in reading". I told her, Look
my son JUST got to middle school. If you pull him, he will crash and burn.
And what did he do? he crashed and burned. I'm ready to rip heads off BIG TIME.
I can't wait to meet them all on the 31st. We didn't even HAVE an IEP once he entered middle school. I had one when He LEFT fifth grade,
but I havent even met any of his teachers that taught him this year. One, I want to punch several times however.
-------------------- You want your life back? Take it. Posts: 3169 | From Greensburg, Pennsylvania | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
These are a good resource. I have heard or seen almost all of them.
As an ex-director of special education and a clinical psychologist, I need to first say that special ed teachers in general do a wonderful job, have good hearts, and are becoming more sophisticated with research based interventions that work.
Unless you meet up with a real stinker, don't make teachers the enemy. You have to work with them, and they have to work with your child.
School districts vary tremendously from region to region and state to state. In all states, special ed takes money from the general fund because special ed is an unfunded mandate. Congress originally promised 40% funding. In 1997 they were giving 7%. Now it's more like 18%. They make laws and then they don't put their money where their mouth is. One parent in my district insisted on a $300,000 a year program for her child and won in a due process because of technical errors. That deprived the entired second grade of a research based reading curriculum, which would have cost $250,000. That situation was not right.
The result of congress' failure to fund special ed mandates is a financially stressed system.
If a particular IEP team doesn't think you know your rights or is just plain stupid, they will use the roadblocks listed in the link. So, know your child's rights.
The law was written to level the playing field, and to allow kids with disabilities to progress and benefit. When it was first enacted in 1974, kids with disabilities were not even allowed to go to school. And kids with mild disabilities, like reading problems, were just labeled stupid. Things are so much better, even in the last ten years.
Children are not entitled to the "best" -- only to services from which they will benefit. Services are never based upon handicapping condition, but on the assessment. the assessment needs to be in all areas of suspected disabiliity and and then will show where the areas are and so what needs to be addressed. Also, the child does not need to be failing, but if they are getting C's or better and are behaviorally and socially ok, in spite of whatever disability they have they won't be entititled to an IEP.
When and if I ever get better, I would like to travel the US to represent kids with Lyme Disease. They will have very different needs which many educators won't understand. For example, with my daughter, the teacher saw her doing a skill one day, and not the next. She accused her of faking it, and did not understand the ups and downs of how the disease affects the brain, energy, etc. The IEP would not listen to me. I had to get an outside expert to explain it.
Kids with Lyme, and who have moderate to severe symptoms, will almost always qualify as Other Health Impaired. You will need your child's doctor to verify the dx and symptoms.
From then on, the picture will be unique, based upon the unique needs of the child. With lyme, there may be neuropsychiatric, neurocognitive, learning disabilities, loss of school time due to faatigue or nausea or pain, etc.
I will be glad to help via this forum if anyone wants to ask specific questions. Just PM me. I will give you my honest opinion, both as a parent of a disabled lyme student and an ex-special ed administrator.
I don't believe in demonizing schools or in blaming parents. Both occur when frustration, fear and lack of understanding exist. I believe in kindness and trying to get reasonable solutions and compromises.
-------------------- Jeff Posts: 533 | From CA | Registered: Mar 2006
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As IEP is an 'Individualized Education Plan' for students with disabilities and learning imparments -
Under IDEA - Special Education law.
Here's a good resource:
Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy
Wrightslaw includes thousands of articles, cases, and free resources about dozens of special education topics. Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys ... www.wrightslaw.com/Posts: 8337 | From the other shore | Registered: Jul 2002
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kgg
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5867
posted
Jeff, if the people I was dealing with in my son's school had your attitude I would not have homeschooled. But I believe you are probably a rarity.
Best, Karen
Posts: 1687 | From Maine | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
Please stand up and fight for your child's right to an education and a social life.
Working in education and having a child with lyme, I have learned that the "squeaky wheel gets the grease". Now that Greg is graduating tomorrow night, I wish I had "squeaked" louder and more often. Know your rights. Don't be afraid to keep the superintendent, guidance councelors, & principal aware of what is going on.
Greg has been home tutored (not home schooled) for the past 2 1/2 years. Some tutors have been fantastic, some we have refused (like the one who insisted Greg go to HER house at 7pm). And sometimes there aren't any tutors.
To get enough credits to finish off his senior year, Greg has been just thrown assignments in 3 classes - with no tutors. I should probably fight this, but I just want to get it over with.
Schools move very slowly. If you need tutors for a semester, figure out who and for what subjects before that semester starts (that is why Greg is behind, tutors were lacking and they always started weeks after the semester did).
Make sure someone in the school (not just friends) keeps your child informed. It should be a teacher or class advisor.
Today was Class Day for Greg. No one asked him for his last will and testament, no one called when the class picture was taken, no one had him sign the frame for the advisors, no one called to have him sign the school t-shirt. And 2 of his best friends were officers and involved with all activities. We have his yearbook with nothing of him in it except for the pictures we submitted. Why weren't his advisors contacting him???
Am I bitter? You bet. Do I blame the school? Absolutely. Do I feel guilty for not doing more? With all my heart I do.
Sorry this is so long. I've been in tears all day over this and needed to vent. Thanks everyone for listening.
Kathy as always, Posts: 64 | From MA | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by kgg: Jeff, if the people I was dealing with in my son's school had your attitude I would not have homeschooled. But I believe you are probably a rarity.
Best, Karen
I agree with Karen. I homeschooled Jordan at 2 different times because the school wouldn't accept Dr. J's letter because he was an out-of-state doctor.
The stress caused by the school was at times as painful as the illness itself.
I contacted an attorney last year and she said the school was not following the law. Since that time, the school has totally backed off.
-------------------- Peggy
~ ~ Hope is a powerful medicine. ~ ~ Posts: 2775 | From MN | Registered: Apr 2001
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hshbmom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9478
posted
Up for parents and students
Posts: 1672 | From AL/WV/OH | Registered: Jun 2006
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JillF
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5553
posted
Oh, ty ty ty Just when I need it
I have my very first IEP meeting this Friday
Although my 6 yr old has Asperger's and not Lyme (that I know of yet, at least), this will be very helpful, esp getting me prepared. No idea what to expect
Posts: 1485 | From USA | Registered: Apr 2004
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shazdancer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1436
posted
I would just say not to assume anything, but know your child's rights and calmly insist on them. I have met some amazing people who would "do what it takes" to educate my kid, and others who couldn't be bothered, because it might cost time and/or money.
I feel the biggest thing (and said by the special ed teacher above) is that you don't have to "prove" Lyme. You have to demonstrate that the child is impaired. A note from a doctor spelling out those impairments is sufficient. They are not doctors, nor are you (unless you are!). They need to be educators.
Best wishes to you and your child.
-- Shaz
Posts: 1558 | From the Berkshires | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Jeff, I wish you would go into a career of advocacy. Not sure how to get this paid for, but it sure is a need, and not just for lymed students.
The problem is that the number of kids needing special arrangements for schooling has just exploded, with inadequate research on how to stop the causes. Look at autism. All we get from the govt is denial of any link to vaccines. Fine. What is causing it then? This is clearly not genetic.
And look at attention deficit and lymed kids....the list just goes on and on. The school districts have to find resources to handle this huge increase in special ed needs, caught in the middle.
Yes, it is true that some educators are insensitive and worse. But the others are just trying to cope with a bad situation, not of their making.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
another problem is the schools, driven by state and government nclb pressures and/or their town's financially driven motives to have a "top scoring" district for real estate appeal..
the schools are shrinking the "box" of what is normal learning. (and the top-most scores usually mean they are pushing out the district's most vulnerable/"disabled", or not-systematic-learning kids.)
anyway, as the box shrinks, more kids are being identified as not learning in the correct manner. product is no longer what is focused on, instead schools micromanage the process - thinking that they must teach children how to learn. this causes many kids to be unable to get to the great product that they could if not micromanaged along the way.
this on top of truly special needs..
then there's district budgetary concerns, and if the administration does not want to service, accommodate or modify for special needs.. well, neither do many of the teachers. and those that DO want to, can't - because they get pressure from their colleagues and bosses.
so we have these actually quite excellent IDEA (federal) law processes, that basically are not followed, and most parents don't even know the cild's educational rights, or their own power as advocates.
so, yes, we need more advocates on children's behalf. many modifications and accommodations can be made that are cost free that go a long way in helping a child who needs it.
m
Posts: 8337 | From the other shore | Registered: Jul 2002
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We didn't even HAVE an IEP once he entered middle school. I had one when He LEFT fifth grade, ![[confused]](graemlins/confused.gif)
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