IEP update.....

[timer lady]

kt's IEP mtg was this past Thursday. I had everyone I could think of in attendance as there was talk of transition ~ though no one mentioned what type of transtion. So kt's mental health care manager, her CADI manager, her in home therapist & myself were in attendance along with the school/day treatment staff. Made for a large gathering.

kt's academics gains have been impressive. She's gone from almost 5th grade level to grade level (8th grade) in almost all of her classes. kt still struggles with with her hand writing though that is a matter of slowing down.

She hasn't had a real meltdown at school since the first 3 months of the school year. The fact that kt hasn't had any real crisis team calls was brought up by school staff as an indicator of the transition they were suggesting was brought into the agenda as well.

The transition school staff is suggesting is from day treatment to a mainstream high school with supports. You should have seen the explosion from mental health CM, therapist & CADI manager! I had hardly had time to react & the discussion was on! CADI manager, especially, brought up the fact that kt is on track to be revictimized ~ kt hasn't the ability to make safe choices. The fact that at almost 14 years of age kt still needs PCAs is very telling. She demanded to know what safeguards were going to be put into place for kt. AND that kt had been in a very contained setting since 3rd grade was setting her up to fail.

This had been one of the longest IEPs I had ever attended. kt was in attendance for part of the mtg. It had been suggested that kt drop from a level 4 setting to a level 3; kt asked what that meant. It was explained to kt it would be a learning center like she attended in elementary school. kt's response - "That's social suicide. Mom, don't let them do that to me! I'll never go to prom, I'll be the dumb kid!"

This is a rat's nest. School district feels & they are most likely correct that kt doesn't need the level 4 day treatment setting. However, SD cannot continue to bring up the fact that kt has more services than all the kids in day treatment combined or it will come back to bite them in the butt.

I asked for a continuation of the IEP mtg which will be this coming Thursday. Again, the original cast of characters will be in attendance which seemed to annoy the director of the day treatment center. However, kt's team is adamant that after all these years that kt does not lose ground ~ too much has been invested in this child. (They weren't talking money ~ this team truly likes & is invested in kt's future.)

I expect that we will discuss transitioning the transition. I expect that there will be a half day at day treatment & then a half day at the learning center of the high school with a taxi ride in between. CADI manager is demanding a day treatment staff member ride with kt for her protection.

Lots to think about. kt is excited about going to the local high school (curb to curb busing) so she can walk to school. More ever, she is looking forward to after school activities. Various teams she might join; clubs & music activities. It's all she can talk about.

If you read this far I appreciate it. I've had much to consider over this transition. It's the nature of the beast to grow beyond the need for constant protection; to individuate. I only hope kt can do this safely.

 

[Wiped Out]

First of, wow-has she made tremendous gains academically! To go from a 5th to 8th grade level is very impressive. I can understand kt's excitement. I can also understand yours and the teams concern. I'm glad you have such a strong team in place for kt. I hope a good transition is worked out. I'm glad you asked for a continuance of the IEP. Will be thinking of you on Thursday at the meeting and saying a prayer all goes well.

 

[Marguerite]

It's good that she is doing so well, that's great news. But I agree, using her good progress now as an excuse to cut back is asking for trouble. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. Some kids just happen to need more support for longer. Maybe the rate of her progress and the level of their support (as well as the very slow rate of change of their support in the past) should be considered. IN other words, if they feel she can be eased back from a high level of support, they shouldn't cut back any faster than has been SUCCESSFULLY done in the past.

Good luck with the continue meeting.

Marg

 

[Penta]

I think you all, including kt, are to be commended for the hard and consistent work in the past years to get to this point. I also think, it is very telling that kt wants to be part of the social scene of teens...that's a healthy, normal desire. I have my fingers crossed that the plan will be successful and she will get to participate in all the activities she wants to join.

 

[totoro]

WOW Linda~ Your team is just amazing, the fact that they jump to kt's defense and protect her like this is truly commendable.
I would think you and the team, (not the SD) know and have KT's best interest at heart. As well as what KT thinks. Not that the SD doesn't want to "help" her... but we all about that crock... them laying into you about how many resources and how much help she has! Well, does she need it or not? Has it helped? Seems like it!!!
Most SC are SO reactionary in their decisions they make for our kids. It sounds like your whole team stuck to their guns and putting a hold on the IEP meeting was smart, give you some time to think. And KT.
Great Job... and your kid sounds like she is doing GREAT!!!

 

[jannie]

What an impressive academic update !!! Kudos to KT and the entire team.

You made a wise choice in stopping the IEP meeting as to give some extra time to make decisions. It is a major transition to go from a self-contained day treatment program (am I correct in assuming her current school is a self-contained, separate school program) into a typical high school setting with special education support. As you know there are advantages and disadvantages to either setting. I know the team will make sure she continues to have intensive support in the high school setting both during structured and unstructred times.. I like the idea of a split day setting...Make sure they have someone available to give the academic accommodations on a daily basis. Is there someone available to scribe for KT during assessment activities...will copies of notes be made available?

Are there other students in the day treatment program functioning as well as her academically? It is also important to say that there are many kids than can make great academic gains with supported instruction, however can not perform nearly as well on an independent less supported environment. I teach a self-contained grade 3 math class and my kids do very well on the grade level assessments because the instruction is intense, individualized, and repetititve. However, when they are in the large classroom environment...they do poorly due to distractions and differentiated instruction. They would not be able to maintain grade level status if they were in the larger classroom setting.

How does she function socially in the day treatment compared to others? The social emotional piece as you know is so important as the high school setting has kids of so many ages and so many different levels of maturity.

I hope you don't mind my input...I know I'm preacing to the choir...she's come so far !!!! And I know you all want this to continue !! It sounds like KT has the same worries and fears as the rest of the team. One minute she says it's social suicide the next minutes she's excited to have all of these new opportunities.

I'm sure good decisions will be made...Fingers crossed all goes well.

Hugs to you and your family....so many posts have been so positive lately about the tweedles !!! Wishing you Linda--positive healing thoughts !!

 

[dreamer]

kt sounds like one wise child.
I remember our sd very often preferred to see any positive little things as a reason to begin to remove services and push towards lessening accomodations etc, even when WRAP, SASS, mentor, psychiatrist and therapist advised against it. Most of the time our sd just went ahead and did what they wanted to do, even against all the other "team" members and yes, it was a set up for a fall.
in my opinion HS is a giant transition in the first place. 4 times as many kids, from 4 feeder schools, the building is MUCH larger....the schedule far more hectic, so many many more techers and peers to get to know. Sadly here, any kids in any Special Education at all, at the time Buffy still went to school- were NOT allowed to participate in ANY extra curriculars, nor assemblies, sports events, field trips etc. No band, no chorus, no computer classes....even if they were mainstreamed. Nope, Buffy was not permitted prom or any dances etc. Altho, school kept telling her they would "consider" her attending some of those things, and they used it as a carrot to her, they never once did permit any of those things, even when Buffy was able to meet demands set forth etc.
Our professionals never were able to make the sd "get it" what they were doing by weekly changeing accomodations, changeing the "plan" as set forth, and everytime we had any small gain or progress in Buffy, or one small backslide, the school was in the biggest hurry to change everything.
All this to say- let your professionals guide, give them the input to what the sd wants and says. Do not pay any attention to anyone saying kt has "the most services" - someone has to be The One who "has the most services"- here it was my daughter. SO what? That means little. Maybe it means kts team is on top of getting what she needs and someone elses child does not have a team. Tats what the services are there for- to meet kids needs. DO not allow ANYONE to compare kt to anyone else. Two people can go thru the exact same thing and both will process it quite differently. Both will also grow and heal at different rates, and some will leap frog and start and stop up and down and back and forth.

I actually grew over the years to hate IEP meetings. For Buffy the sd had begun to call for them weekly, and they would last 3-6 hours each, and the sd would send people to them that had not even ever met Buffy......and there I would be with WRAP, SASS, psychiatrist, therapist, mentor and advocate trying to work for what was best for Buffy. Ours got so heated and ugly, my easy child saw one of the sd Special Education people one day out in public and the darned sd person had to nerve to make a comment to my easy child about her sister and easy child very nearly punched the sd person! I am praying your sd has a better "heart" and good intentions. I am afraid that between my Buffy and my son and what we have witnessed with the very different reasons for their IEPs....and the outcomes....we are rather pessimistic. And from listening to other local parents here, it is NOT getting better here, only worse. :-(
Good luck to you and kt. and cheers for her academic progress.

 

[dreamer]

PS don't forget to make sure reps from the HS come in to the meeting so they themself can agree or not to any "plans" the IEP team thinks they want in place. If they are talking of kt going to the regular HS building, you will want to make sure someone from THAT school is at the meeting. I found from my sons elem school to middle school, noone from middle school came to transition meeting and nothing that was put in place was agreeable to the middle school, after all that time and work putting an IEP together. Even tho we had it written up before elem school finished, middle school decided to wait till end of first semester of middle school to inform me they were refuseing it and rejecting it, lock stock and barrel. and then it took the next semester before school would agree to reconvene an IEP meeting at my request. we lost a whole school year. (at which time I wound up decideing to homeschool, and that has worked out for my son- he also jumped 3 grade levels in one school year)

 

[susiestar]

WOW!! Congrats on the hard work to kt and ALL of you who support her.

I think there is a lot to consider. Her success is NOT a reason to remove supports - it shows they are working, in my opinion.

What the other kids have or do not have in the way of supports is totally irrelevant. The other kids have not been through what kt has, and do not have the needs kt has.

I will hope and pray and do the chicken liver dance that kt is supported for positive growth and that this transition is terrific, not terrifying!!

Susie

 

[amazeofgrace]

WOW, I am prepping for difficult child II's IEP conference 5/21, and the head of Special Education told me point blank that I should not bring difficult child II's in home therpaist, the Crisis management SW, or the Family support Orginization representative because none of them are qualified to be giving their opinion in regards to difficult child II's educational setting, LOL. I suspect it will be quite a free for all. The Special Education here in town would rather die then send a child out of district! It's been that way since I was in school here way back when.

 

[smallworld]

Linda, what positive news! This is definitely a Special Education success story. I know you and the team (with kt's help, of course!) will decide to do whatever is in kt's best interests. Good luck on Thursday.

 

[Fran]

Sounds like good strides forward.
I'll be keeping a good thought that there is an abundance of wisdom by all involved on how to best help kt. towards independence.

 

[timer lady]

I appreciate all the kudos & good wishes for this weeks meeting.

Jannie, kt's Residential Treatment Center (RTC) is in a separate bldg altogether. My fear for kt's academic continued progress is that she did have a great deal of one on one. She would continue that one on one in the learning center at the high school (another contained but less restrictive environment). I'm leaning toward the learning center & hoping that kt can (if all goes well) start to mainstream some of the more appropriate classes & I'm not thinking gym or some of the other less structured classes.

I'm brainstorming with mental health CM & therapist this week before the mtg Thursday.

My goal has always been for kt to function at her highest level ~ this will be the next step. I guess I'm just terrified for her. You didn't hear that from me though.