klmno
Active Member
The sd is having their mdt meeting on Tues. to decide if they should recommend the fapt team get involved. I was told by someone at the county last week that the school mdt (Multi-dsciplinary team) meeting was all sd personnel, except in cases where they invited someone from another agency, and was to determine if sd should be providing more to a student or if they needed to get other agencies involved. I was ok with that, I just wanted the process to move faster.
Today, though, the principal had me sign a release form for all county agencies to be able to communicate, but the form said it was for fapt involvement. Now, a parent does not attend mdt meetings, but that isn't a problem if they are only deciding which agency is responsible for what. Parents do attend fapt meetings because they are deciding what services can and will be provided and the parent has to be in agreement, unless it is court ordered.
The principal said she has only been involved in this one time, so I think now that her reluctance is more from being unsure about things than being unwilling to help. But I asked her to explain this MDT to me and she said it is a brainstorming session with all these agencies involved. That is fapt- the mdt isn't supposed to be deciding what the child needs. Anyway, the principal said someone from all these agencies will be at this meeting on Tues (the mdt) and she neededd me to sign the release form so they could all discuss difficult child's needs and determine if the sd should/can do more and take care of it all. If they had recommendations that sd couldn't cover, they would ask for the services to be provided thru fapt.
She's either mistaken because I was told the mdt is about who takes repsonsibility for what and the fapt is the meeting where the determination of specific services is made and the parent is involveed, similar to an iep meeting except that it covers more areas than academics.
I'm a little concerned- I hope they aren't having PO there. And I specificaly told the principal that I did not want people at the mdt deciding what they thought we needed then asking fapt to fund it. I want to go to a fapt meeting and we brainstorm together what is needed and can be provided, per the coordinator's suggestions to me on the phone last month.
I looked closely at the form I signed- it is a release for fapt communication between various agencies. That's all. It said nothing about giving consent for a meeting regarding my son's needs that I would not be a part of. So, I think it's ok.
The principal and higher up at last week's meeting said fapt would not accept their reeferral until knowing that sd had done all they can do in-house. I think that's true, based on my research, but I have no doubt that our needs far exceed the sd's responsibilty. Not that the school shouldn't be doing more, but I know we need some things that are out of sd's realm.
Thoughts? The principal asked me to email her my list of problems that I wish could be solved or helped thru fapt services. I want the list to be used to show that we do need a fapt referral, not to be used for them to meet and determine what they believe we really need and whether or not they will provide certain things. Maybe I better keep it vague and general, like therapist did in his letter.
Today, though, the principal had me sign a release form for all county agencies to be able to communicate, but the form said it was for fapt involvement. Now, a parent does not attend mdt meetings, but that isn't a problem if they are only deciding which agency is responsible for what. Parents do attend fapt meetings because they are deciding what services can and will be provided and the parent has to be in agreement, unless it is court ordered.
The principal said she has only been involved in this one time, so I think now that her reluctance is more from being unsure about things than being unwilling to help. But I asked her to explain this MDT to me and she said it is a brainstorming session with all these agencies involved. That is fapt- the mdt isn't supposed to be deciding what the child needs. Anyway, the principal said someone from all these agencies will be at this meeting on Tues (the mdt) and she neededd me to sign the release form so they could all discuss difficult child's needs and determine if the sd should/can do more and take care of it all. If they had recommendations that sd couldn't cover, they would ask for the services to be provided thru fapt.
She's either mistaken because I was told the mdt is about who takes repsonsibility for what and the fapt is the meeting where the determination of specific services is made and the parent is involveed, similar to an iep meeting except that it covers more areas than academics.
I'm a little concerned- I hope they aren't having PO there. And I specificaly told the principal that I did not want people at the mdt deciding what they thought we needed then asking fapt to fund it. I want to go to a fapt meeting and we brainstorm together what is needed and can be provided, per the coordinator's suggestions to me on the phone last month.
I looked closely at the form I signed- it is a release for fapt communication between various agencies. That's all. It said nothing about giving consent for a meeting regarding my son's needs that I would not be a part of. So, I think it's ok.
The principal and higher up at last week's meeting said fapt would not accept their reeferral until knowing that sd had done all they can do in-house. I think that's true, based on my research, but I have no doubt that our needs far exceed the sd's responsibilty. Not that the school shouldn't be doing more, but I know we need some things that are out of sd's realm.
Thoughts? The principal asked me to email her my list of problems that I wish could be solved or helped thru fapt services. I want the list to be used to show that we do need a fapt referral, not to be used for them to meet and determine what they believe we really need and whether or not they will provide certain things. Maybe I better keep it vague and general, like therapist did in his letter.