Meeting with school psychologist

[flutterbee]

I met with the school psychologist today re: the evaluation for an IEP for difficult child. It had been rescheduled from Friday because I came down with the stomach flu. :frown:

I'm really not sure how I feel about it. She went over everything and said if she qualifies it could be under ED or Other Health Impaired and she'd rather see her qualify under Other Health Impaired. I'm not sure that matters much to me. She did seem concerned that difficult child wouldn't qualify because she doesn't think she would see an adverse educational impact. However, she is going to ask her teachers to write a letter and detailing the assignments they have exempted her from (mostly homework) as well as how much school she has missed. She also said she is going to try to get her covered and will do everything she can within the limits of the law.

A few things really bothered me though. On one form they indicated that I was forgoing interventions because I had requested an IEP. That really got to me because I had been trying to get everyone to sit down since before I re-enrolled difficult child in this school (from the charter school) and I never got anywhere. So it should have said that the SD sat on it's hands and Mom had to force them to take some kind of action. :warrior: But I can let that go. :grin:

Second, she noted that I said (from prior conversations with guidance counselor) anxiety as being one of difficult child's issues. The letter from therapist said "depression and panic disorder" so the school psychologist noted that anxiety was not reported by the therapist. :hammer: Ummm....panic disorder is anxiety to a more extreme level. Duh! I would think that is just common sense.

The school psychologist did say that instead of just presenting everything at the IEP meeting, she would keep in touch with me and let them know how things are progressing and what they are finding. She did say she's not sure how they would write her IEP and that she would have to sit down with her supervisor at that point. Good thing for me, difficult child's neuropysch called me Sunday night and said that if we needed any help writing the IEP to let her know. neuropsychologist also said, "It's not hard. We know what she needs." ~cough~ Someone should tell the SD. :blush:

So I'm going to see how things progress. I have a call into the neuropsychologist to check her availability. I know the SD has 60 days, but she is a busy woman.

If anyone thinks any of this sounds unusual or has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I've never done this before so it's all new to me!

 

[Sheila]

I am running late and will check back in with you later, but one thing I did want to remind myself to write about is parent recommendations and "the form." lol

 

[Sheila]

It had been rescheduled from Friday

I may be misreading this, but an initial evaluation under IDEA regs typically can't be done in one day. Keep in mind that if you do not agree with the sd's evaluation, you can request an IEE.

She did seem concerned that difficult child wouldn't qualify because she doesn't think she would see an adverse educational impact. However, she is going to ask her teachers to write a letter and detailing the assignments they have exempted her from (mostly homework) as well as how much school she has missed.

Too often, sds erronously believe adverse impact is identified via grades only. You may want to do additional research on "adverse impact" and/or "educational need." There are a couple of threads in the Special Education Archives regarding adverse impact you may want to reveiw.

The school psychologist did say that instead of just presenting everything at the IEP meeting

I never go to an IEP meeting without first having had a chance to review the evaluation report at home -- there's just too much to read and interpret for the average parent to try to do that in my opinion. Sds sometimes will say that they can't release the report because there's no one that has explained it to the parent. This can be a legitimate reason, however, when presented with this scenario a parent would be wise to schedule a meeting with the School psychiatric or Diagnostician so the data can be presented, AND then take it home to digest and make a list of questions you may need answered at the IEP meeting.

She did say she's not sure how they would write her IEP and that she would have to sit down with her supervisor at that point.

Writing the IEP is a function of the IEP Committee -- not a supervisor.

difficult child's neuropysch called me Sunday night and said that if we needed any help writing the IEP to let her know. neuropsychologist also said, "It's not hard. We know what she needs."

As the parent, you are a part of the IEP team. You should make any recommendations you feel your child needs. Use a Parent Record of Proposals -- https://web.archive.org/web/20091022131922/http://geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/1580/priornotice.html will tell you why.

The form is at https://web.archive.org/web/2009102...ens/Oracle/1580/record_of_proposals_form.html .

Fill it out, check things off as you go. Get a copy of it before you leave the meeting and leave the original with-the sd.

 

[flutterbee]

It had been rescheduled from Friday

I may be misreading this, but an initial evaluation under IDEA regs typically can't be done in one day. Keep in mind that if you do not agree with the sd's evaluation, you can request an IEE.


This was just the initial meeting to get the ball rolling.
What is an IEE? Is that the Independent Evaluation?

You and Martie are a wealth of information. Thank you so much! I will definitely look into the Archives and see what I can find re: adverse impact as well as use the info on the links you provided.

The more I think about it, the less good I feel about this school psychologist. I was under the apparently mistaken impression that a school psychologist had the same training as any other pscyhologist. When she didn't know how to spell "lexapro" and didn't realize that panic disorder is a severe form of anxiety, I was shocked. But those aren't the only reasons. I definitely want to have as much info as possible under my belt so that I and difficult child won't be taken advantage of.

 

[Sheila]

That's good news to me. Evaluation by "informal means" makes me real nervous. lol

Unless you provide additional information in writing, e.g., parent report, this meeting will likely be categorized as "parent interview and input."

I just transferred the adverse impact threads to the archives, so they should be near the top of page 1.

A LSSP (school psychologist) is not the same thing as a full fledged Psychologist. However, I have to say I was very please with-the level of expertise exhibited by our sd.

"didn't realize that panic disorder is a severe form of anxiety"

That would have cause me to raise an eyebrow also.

Yes, an IEE is an Independent Educational Evaluation.

 

[Martie]

What I think the SD is saying when it says you "refused interventions" is that you want a full evaluation rather than RTI. (response to intervention) which is discussed on ihunt's thread today.

If your SD thinks it HAS to evaluate, that's good in my opinion. Some SD are using RTI as a way to stall divery of services that are needed.

Also, I agree with everything Sheila said, especially regarding lack of knowledge that panic disorder is an extreme form of anxiety raising eyebrows.

YOU should see all evaluations before the Eligibility/IEP meeting. One of the WORST uses of time is to have every professional present READ his/her report. Besides wasting time, you cannot be expected to process everything and then have an active voice in the writing the IEP on the spot. Unfortunately, too often, that is what the school is counting on.

It sounds as if you are planning on taking the neuropsychologist with you. If so, that is good. No one should go to these things alone.

Keep on them about the status of the evaluation and make it clear you want their result before the meeting. If they say, "we have to explain them," say "fine--when prior to the formal meeting would you like to schedule the time for explanation."

If they say "no," to giving you an explanation prior to the formal meeting, go to the IEP meeting, ask for copies and then ask for a reschedule at a time after you have gone over the reports. They will never refuse to release to you again because it doubles their time commitment. Then you can go over the evaluation with the neuropsychologist and decide if you need an IEE.

It is improtant for everyone to know that neither Sheila nor I were EVER refused prior copies of reports. They only refuse because they think that you do not know you have a right to see them (and your child's entire school record.)

Martie

 

[flutterbee]

I've been reading the threads in the archives re: adverse impact and, besides a headache lol, I have a question.

difficult child tests, on standardized testing, above average in all subject areas. Yet, her classroom grades have historically not been showing this. For example, in grade 3 she tested above average in writing, yet had a grade of a 50 - or failing - in the classroom for writing. Her teachers are telling me that at present her grades are good (A's and B's I think). However, they have exempted her from some assignments (I don't know how many - didn't even know they were until the school psychologist told me they had) and her one teacher in particular has taken an interest in working with her during their 20 or 30 minute free period. Her grades on the first report card of the year did not reflect how she tests. In fact, she did not have anything higher than a C. And her grades in all previous classes (grade 2 through 5) did not reflect how she tests at all.

So, would this be considered an adverse impact?

 

[Martie]

I would consider it an adverse impact because I think internalizers are left alone until they REALLY fail everything.

SOME SDs will not accept Cs and Ds as "negative impact." Must be failure across the board...this is not in the law but much of what many SDs do is not in the law.

I believe Sheila once pointed out that when we provide extraordinary support at home, we delay negative impact becoming evident thus denying our children needed services. What a catch-22.

It is a hard call but I also would be suspicious of grades "improving" if there are no work samples (part of RTI) to support the grades. One obvious way to make "negative impact" go away is to inflate the child's grades.

I had an issue with my ex-difficult child and the 6th grade language arts teacher. I wrote THE LETTER requesting full evaluation (after TONS of private interventions) and miraculously, his grades improved. However, I had saved the work samples that she had failed and the real issues were school phobia, anxiety and depression, so he was qualified. However, from this example, you can see what the manipulation of grades of a child who always tests above average can do.

Martie