A potentially happy sped event

slsh

member since 1999
Yes, from the slsh household, we actually may have some happy sped news after a solid decade of mostly misery. I won't bore with- details, but FAPE in LRE has never applied to Boo, in spite of a major campaign I waged 4 years ago that nearly cost me my sanity and *did* cost Boo in terms of some uncalled for and pretty nasty retaliatory garbage.

"Placement" this year is a self-contained classroom 20 miles and several high school's away, in a jr. high, with LRE consisting of getting to eat lunch on Mondays in a real HS. However, he's also attended a program through UCP for adults 2 days a week. The curriculum at school has become extremely inappropriate for my 18 y/o son. He's not infantile, not even really teen anymore. He is most definitely an adult.

In my part of IL, sped is funded thru home district but provided by co-ops that collect kiddos with- more severe disabilities and place them... wherever.

So... I asked co-op staff about Boo attending the adult program not only 2 days/week this summer for ESY, but also full time next year. "Oh no, that doesn't happen... we've never had a student do that." To me, that was 2 separate statements. Just because it's never happened before doesn't mean it can't. So I called sped director (district) who, bless his heart, said "sure".

Co-op staff has also really been applying the pressure for me to look at an Residential Treatment Center (RTC)-type setting for Boo. Yes, that's just what I want, 2 of my kids in residential settings, coming home for "visits". Out of their minds.

So, Boo gets to miss 2 days a week of "tall tales" (ESY curriculum this summer - gag) to go to adult program where, by the way, they treat him like the competant, capable adult he is. *Plus*, he gets to attend the program full time starting next fall and we can bypass the ridiculous alleged "curriculum" at school completely. Only issue I have to weigh is his related services (Occupational Therapist (OT)/ST/PT and aug com) come fall - would mean 1 day at school, really meaningless in terms of curriculum/learning/life skills, and I honestly am not so sure about how meaninful it will be in terms of related services. Can do them as consult only... I don't know.

But - good news! So, it never hurts to ask for something that has "never been done before"!! :smile:
 

Sheila

Moderator
Very good! :grin:

And kudos to the Sp Ed Director that recognizes the "Individual" in IEP.

:bravo: :smile:
 
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