The list of requests

[Shari]

Some are pretty dumb, as I shouldn't have to request them. But...here we go.

I am requesting that
1. Wee be placed in the Gen Ed enviornment only with appropriate supports and services
2. Wee's length of day be at least as long as it was last year, and assigned an appropriately trained for the duration of that day.
3. Outside agency be brought in to conduct a non-biased and don-going FBA with ALL IEP decisions driven by that assessment
4. Assistive tech be implemented according to the recommendations of the evaluation conducted in the spring
5. Additional assistive tech trials be conducted per evaluation recommendations (FM listening system, keyboard, phonemic awareness software)
6. Assitive tech evaluation be redone with all knowledge and diagnosis'es disclosed to the evaluators
7. All academic instruction be modified to be 'hands on' and para be adequately prepped to assist
8. language and sppech therapy to address Wee's communication needs in order to decrease his frustration and meltdowns
9. Wee have an IEP goal for social skills training and appropriate benchmarks
10. A visual schedule be used as per the school's BIP
11. Positive reinforcement given every at least every 15 minutes, as per the school's BIP
12. Progress and incidents reported to me daily
13. Meeting with the IEP team every 2 weeks while the FBA is in progress
14. Progress towards goals be reviewed every 2 weeks, to include work samples that said progress is being judged on
15. Baselines be re-established at the beginning of this year, and not based on last year
16. Calming techniques be clearly written and consistent between all parties
17. sensory issues be addressed in the IEP and BIP with CURRENT baselines for how they impact his day and with what frequency
18. Emotional Regulation goals be added to his IEP and worked on with Occupational Therapist (OT) AND para; Occupational Therapist (OT) minutes doubled
19. Sensory activities and breaks given every 15 minutes, as per the school's BIP, and each sensory break does NOT end until he is emotionally ready to resume classroom work
20. Behavior baseline be reviewed every 2 weeks for problematic times (afternoons; after recess)
21. daily triage to review the schedule for the day
22. A calm area be established for Wee to go to AS NEEDED
23. Mom will be called IF AND ONLY WHEN Wee becomes frustrated and unstable, emotionally or academically, and ONLY AFTER having utilized emotional regulation by the Occupational Therapist (OT) and only after an intervention chart has been completed every 5-15 minutes prior to calling
24. Intervention used will be documented and the incident outlined in documentation to be given to mom when she picks up Wee if he has to be sent home early
25. Present level in the IEP will include ALL diagnosis'es.
26. 30 minutes Occupational Therapist (OT) per day, not to include pencil/paper tasks
60 minutes Occupational Therapist (OT) consult per week with a trained para
150 min/week social skills training
60 min daily reading 1:1 instruction
full time 1:1
27. Compenssory education to help WEe catch up
28. Homebound services if Wee's day is anything less than a full day
29. Notice of action refused for ANY of these requests that are denied


Any thoughts or suggestions?

Oh...and I will relay the fact that I have heard stories from the paras on the streets and from the little sister of one of the paras at the local store...and I will not tolerate that.

 

[KTMom91]

Speaking as the substitute teacher...you might also want to authorize release of IEP, BIP, etc. to any sub that may come in. Wee might feel better if he knows everyone is aware of whatever plan is in place. I'm rarely told which kids have which plans, and it makes things considerably more difficult because I don't know who's supposed to go where or do what during the time that I'm responsible for them.

 

[Shari]

Thank you, KTM! Cant beleive I didn't think of that, cause I was talking about that with exMIL tonight. His paras don't even generally know his diagnosis'es! How can they do their job if fthey don't understand what they are dealing with?? Let alone subs and others. Thanks!

 

[Marguerite]

Go for the lot. I mean it.

When they say, "We can't do all that!" have your own list of what you're prepared to compromise on. MAke sure that the rest of your requests stay on the table for them to "work towards". Any failures on what you have finally agreed on (the compromise agreement) and everything goes back on the table again. Make sure they know this, and make sure they know you have already talked to a lawyer. If you haven't already talked to a lawyer - do so.

It's time to put your steel-capped boots on. And I know that remark has upset those on the board who are teachers - so to those of you who are offended, I apologise now for offending you, but please be aware that not all school staff give a toss like you do, and sometimes they need a little shoe leather judiciously applied to the derriere. I only kick when it becomes necessary. In this case - I think it is necessary.

Marg

 

[Shari]

Some of the requests, like trained para and homebound if not full days, are non-negotiable. Other than those, I think I will be demanding half. Not sure yet on that...but a good chunk of them, anyway.

Sadly, a lot of these should be non-issues. Several are from their own documents that they weren't following...

 

[JJJ]

ONE para - ONE not the parade they have now.

 

[Marguerite]

I still think you should ask for the lot, but let them 'force' you to settle for half.

If you go in asking for half, they may push you to accept even less. it shouldn't be, but it's like bargaining in a Djibouti market.

Marg

 

[slsh]

Shari - in #2, are you agreeing to less than a full day? If so, for how long? Another school year, a quarter, a semester?

Just my opinion, I do not think you should agree to anything less than full days. He has already spent over a full school year on a "modified" schedule. There was/is absolutely no medical necessity for it. It was for SD convenience. They couldn't handle him and couldn't be bothered to figure out how to. I just feel so strongly that the elementary experience is so important in that it sets the stage for the rest of his education. He desperately needs to get back into full days ASAP. Absolutely, it is going to take a ton of support - but the SD set this up by not allowing him to be in school and by calling you to get him at the first hint of trouble. They're reaping what they sowed and they absolutely have to undo the damage. It's going to take a heck of a lot more effort *now* on their part than if they had done it the right way in the first place. Too bad, so sad. Not Wee's problem - it's the SD's.

I also think you need to be much more specific in terms of what you want for compensatory education, and that also needs to be nonnegotiable. A word of warning - do *not* allow them to tack on compensatory services at the end of his school career. He desperately needs the services *now* - tutor, social skills/social interaction opportunities, definitely the extra Occupational Therapist (OT)/related services. Because they so socially isolated him, I think part of those services should include recreational/extracurricular activities. by the way, you should know that rec. services is a related service. Been a while since I read the regs, but if you don't have them handy I can slog thru and find the reference.

Again, Shari - just my opinion. You have been waging this battle for so darn long, and you have so many fires burning with- this SD - it's got to be really hard to prioritize. I have to tell you that I am *extremely* impressed with how you are handling it. Instead of getting worn down and emotionally exhausted, you have only gotten stronger and more focused. You really are doing a fabulous job.

 

[confuzzled]

1. Wee be placed in the Gen Ed enviornment only with appropriate supports and services
2. Wee's length of day be at least as long as it was last year, and assigned an appropriately trained for the duration of that day

i'm with sue...i think demanding any less than a full school day (irregardless of whether wee can handle it or not) with an open ended timeline is selling him short. there is no reason why wee cant be appropriately educated for a full day.

and i'm still not 100% clear on why you are still demanding genEd. it still seems to me that wee's level of needs are best addressed in a self contained setting where both his sensory needs and dyslexia can be addressed along with his behavorial stuff. i'm all about inclusion, but sometimes its *not* in the best interests of a child. if your district cannot meet his needs in a self contained setting then its time to look at other programs...

and i would honestly tread VERY CAREFULLY on the homebound instruction request...not sure how it works in your state, but in many it ends up being a hour or two a week...wee's needs far outweigh what you'd get out of it. and its giving the district a ginormous out...

otherwise, great work. my heart goes out to both of you...i can't believe how absurd your district is. you are a better person than i am....i'd have filed due process a LONG time ago.

 

[slsh]

Confuzzled brings up a good point about homebound instruction. When thank you was expelled from his sped school (don't ask - total violation of IDEA but he had to get out of that school - they were triggering him mercilessly), he was on homebound for a couple of months while we all scrambled for next placement. We saw a teacher 1 hour at a time, 2 maybe 3 times a week. Homebound will be an extremely limited resource and if you do get it, the overwhelming majority of responsibility for educating Wee is going to fall on your shoulders (not like it hasn't already, LOL).

 

[Shari]

Great points, folks. That's why I love you all!

JJJ, you remind me of a situation that happened in the early intervention school's summer program this year....they had SpEd College students come in to mentor and help out for a day, and they rotated thosee kids around every half hour to 45 minutes, and even in a non-stressful setting, Wee had a huge problem with transitioning. The EIS director said it was just too hard for him to make those switches that often andd they ended up pulling him frfom the regular room so the colege kids could go ahead and get their experiences. Wee helped out in the admin office for a couple hours and thought he was king of the world. Even then, they didn't send him home. That's exactly the scenario I need to hand the school to say why the parade of paras won't work.

Marg, I don't intend to let them know how many I'll settle for. I just need to know in my own mind, because I know when I get in that room, my emotions will be high. I just need to have that worked out in my mind going in.

Sue & Confuzzled, good point. I want full days. He needs full days, and the request needs to state that. "homebound services" will be a backup demand. If they absolutely won't keep him all day, then they need to send him somewhere besides home, or they need to send a teacher home with him to educate him. I will not take less than a full day in some form or fashion...if they don't want him there all day, fine; but they WILL educate him somewhere. Compensatory services will also depend on what the school will give him for the regular day. There is a limit to how much anyone can take, and I can't expect Wee to take10 or 11 hours of education a day. But rec opportunities is a GREAT idea, and perrfectly fitting as he struggles to parrticipate in regular extra curricular because of the general use of large group instruction...

And just for the record, I AM exhausted. I've been prepping for this battle all summer, and I really miss my "summer off"...

I gave one he!! of a speech to them in my dreams last night. I'm going to write down a few key points of that, too. I don't think it would hurt the whole team to hear some of that if it comes to that. I've already laughed at the principal and given one speech. I've had to leave the room while tehy all talked about him like he was some hideous monster that they were obligated to let in their door every morning. I dont' think I'll have a problem telling them how it is again. Biting my tongue is going to be my problem, and I'm not sure that's something I'll worry too much about.

 

[Shari]

I forgot to speak to the GenEd request, also. I want his day to be a mix of self contained and Gen Ed. While last year's arrangement worked for Wee, I also think he should be allowed to GenEd experience to some degree. With an appropriate para and supports, I have no doubt that he can maintain in that setting on a limited basis. That will not be where the bulk of his education will have to take place, tho. I just don't want him totally isolated becausee the only person in the building that can handle him is the SpEd teacher again.

I could keep him in that building and attending to tasks for a full day (and, for the record, have). They rejected my offer to quit my job and join their payroll, so I expect them to find someone else that is capable of doing the same thing.

 

[confuzzled]

He needs full days, and the request needs to state that. "homebound services" will be a backup demand. If they absolutely won't keep him all day, then they need to send him somewhere besides home, or they need to send a teacher home with him to educate him. I will not take less than a full day in some form or fashion...if they don't want him there all day, fine; but they WILL educate him somewhere

http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/special-ed-law/homebound-state-by-state.htm

Five hours of instruction must be given each week in order to be counted for full attendance

i know what you are trying to accomplish. but i'm seriously telling you to consider removing this option from your vocabulary. because wee will get 5 hours a week of an education.


that would be on your best week.


is this something your advocate is suggesting? i just think this really, really gives the sd an option YOU really, really, realllllllllly dont want them to have.

i also might consider asking for a transdiciplanary approach in which all of his therapies are intergrated into the classroom setting, if you havent already. the amount of therapy wee requires is really more of a medical model than an edu one, and if it involves 1:1 pullout he will not only miss alot of educational time but it will up his transitions tremendously. i'm not doubting he needs the therapies...i'm just suggesting he needs them in the classroom settings....let the therapists work in tandem, and let them come *to him*, not the other way around....

 

[JJJ]

SHari,

I don't know if you remember but we went through the half-day-dance with Tigger as well. What finally got him back to school for a full day was putting him 100% in the Special Education room with the teacher that 'got him'. At the time, there were only 2 children in the sped room. He did have he option of doing lunch/recess/gym/art/music with the reg ed class and we had him go with younger kids so that he was a better match socially. AT the beginning, there were days when he refused to go to the reg ed room and that was allowed, then he was encouraged to at least look in the door and then he could go back to his room, if he felt overwhelmed he could just tell the para 'time to go back'. Having that control seemed to be what he needed as he was with the regular ed kids 75 minutes/day consistently by the end of the year. He gets other socialization opportunities through scouts and special olympics.

Wee is getting older and older as the school district plays games. If you can write the IEP so that he starts full day in the sped room and at set dates adds time in the regular ed room, would that work?

 

[Shari]

This is what the advocates came up with in response to my demand for a full day, but I for sure will bring this up to them. It is my understanding that they can't just call partial days "the solution" for the long term, and the advocate is suggesting if the district refuses full days, then they provide instruction at an alternate location or facility in addition to the partial day he attends school - not in lieu of - and for that to be the only way I am willing to compromise on the length of Wee's day.

But we do need to hash that out, and all references to partial days needs to come off the table to begin with...I agree to that. We can still have a backup plan in our back pocket, but they don't need to know it up front.

 

[Shari]

JJJ, I'm not sure...

Self contained worked last year, but we had an adequately trained teacher. I don't think we have that now. I also think that change in placement (to gen ed instead of self contained) without adequate data to support the decision is why they've extended his day back out to match last year's times...I think that was an attempt to placate me so I don't make a stink about the rest of it.

The teacher they said would be working with him is, according to former alum, worthless. At the schedule meeting yesterday, tho, I discovered there will be another teacher involved, and I unfortunately know nothing about her. I do know she does not have the autism and behavioral training the other teacher had, so I am seriously questioning her ability to work with him. I know that is not my problem, but that's who the players are right now. I will be demanding that they get someone in there trained to handle him in either setting, and I want his sped minutes equal to last year. Then they can mix in gen ed time for the duration of the day - get him back in recess, specials, etc, so he has some peer time. I'm not going for mainstream...not in the least. But I don't want him totally isolated this year, either.

 

[tiredmommy]

I agree (in part) with JJJ. Wee needs one para and a second that he is familar with so that there is coverage if the first is not available. I was the sub of choice for a little guy with many of Wee's issues and it worked well that he knew I would be there if Mrs. P couldn't be there. Not perfect, mind you, but he transitioned better. You'll probably want a regular staff member (ideally) as the second fill-in para rather than a sub. They even asked me to sub in the lunchroom one week when the regular monitor was out on bereavement leave.

 

[totoro]

Everytime I think of something I look and you have it covered! Or someone else suggests it.
Does he ever have home work? I assume not, but I didn't see it or notice it on the list. I would make sure he never has it and it is understood.
We are battling this right now. One more stupid thing you never know?

I agree that you should push for all of it. Get your armor on and fight for what he deserves!!!

 

[JJJ]

I've lost the train of what the school has offered besides partial days and musical staff.

What options have they put on the table?

 

[Shari]

I've lost the train of what the school has offered besides partial days and musical staff.

What options have they put on the table?

Partial days and musical staff. lol

That's basically it. These people are clueless. In their defense, they truly are. But they have done nothing to find that clue, either, so I ran out of sympathy. They are doing a dyslexic phonics program with him. He was in self contained full time, but now, according to the school's proposed iep, will get his sped minutes cut in half, and put in gen ed the remainder of the half day that he's there, with FIVE different paras supporting him for the THREE hours he's in gen ed or at lunch/recess. They are offering weekly...150 min written expression, 150 min math, 150 min interpersonal skills (that's 30 min a day, folks); 175 min in reading (35 min daily), 60 min Occupational Therapist (OT) (12 min daily) and a para for 575 min (not quite 2 hours daily). Other than that, he gets modified assignments, a scribe, is supposed to be allowed to keyboard and not write, and...I think that's about it. Its pretty much sad.

I just got off the phone with the advocates, rehashing the list. The new one was pretty adamant about backing off full days and I told her no way. She wanted the "step up" plan again, where he starts where the school wants and they add an hour here or there. I told her no. His best chance of coping with a full day is right now, and if we wait til the seasonal **** starts again to put him on a full day, the school will just say "see!??! He can't hack it." He CAN hack it, and they need to do it RIGHT NOW. I really feel if they don't give him full days right now, he'll never get them at this district, they'll set "let him build on his success, full days in Nov" and he falls apart in Nov and we throw more transitions at him, and its just a setup for failure. The advocates both came around to my line of thinking and tho we may negotiate partial days WITH ADDITIONAL SERVICES offered at an alternate location, we aren't putting it on the table at the git-go. And those are the only two options. Full day, or partial with additional services. Period.