Still new to this IEP thing.

Jamieh

New Member
My youngest has an IEP and is in the developmental preschool program. I volunteered yesterday to help dye eggs with the kiddos. It was fun and I enjoyed getting to see him with other kids. His teacher gave me his progress report and told me that at his IEP meeting they would be offering him a spot in the summer school program for the developmental class. *yay* I was worried about him regressing if he stayed home with me. He had a hard time adjusting to going to preschool. He also will be in the preschool class again next year. I was wondering if he would be able to attend because the school board questioned his eligibility because his developmental testing was above average but his lang skills are impaired and he pretty much cannot communicate other than sign language. So good news all around on it. :)
 

TeDo

CD Hall of Fame
Absolutely good news. Keep doing whatever you have to do to improve youngest's chances for success. Sounds like you might some day have to don the Warrior Mom armor with the school board but for now, crisis averted. One thing you might want to have the school do is put the summer program IN the IEP for as long as he's in preschool (that would cover next summer too, right?). That way, they are legally bound to provide that service and there is nothing the school board can do about it.
 

Jamieh

New Member
yeah I am going to ask a bunch of questions when I sit down in May for his IEP meeting. His teacher said his current IEP was good for 3 years before he would be re evaluated. So he should still get the same services when he enters Kindergarten if I send him at 5...we held his brother back a year. So he'll be almost 6 when he goes to kindy this fall.
 

TeDo

CD Hall of Fame
It is good for 3 years before they HAVE to re-evaluate. That doesn't mean things can't be added (or removed) at any time. Make sure the specific summer program IS put in writing into it. Sounds like you're learning the ropes. Good job.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I would acquaint yourself with your area parent advocate just in case they try to pull something early. Schools tend to try to get out of IEPs if they can and advocates know the state laws and it's always a good idea to have one with you for any IEP meeting. They keep the school people in line. Far as my experiences go, the school board has nothing to do with IEPs. It's always been the Special Education director and teachers and they tried quite a bit of funny stuff with us.Yo

u can find out who your advocate is by calling your state dept. of education and asking for the Special Needs director. This is a free service and a very nice one!
 

buddy

New Member
There are states that are trying the three year IEP but usually the iep is a year long document. However, eligibility for Special Education, and the requirement that there is an iep lasts for three years at which point a re-evaluation happens.
And as TeDo says, it can always be revised.

Summer school for kids on an iep is called esy=extended school year. It is different technically from summer school in that the team has to follow a process to determine if the child will regress beyond typical summer regression, if there is a significant interruption in emerging skills, etc. then the summer program is individualized to say what specific iep goals will be targeted in summer.

Reality is that many districts run this as a summer school for monetary sake. The paper work sill has to be done.

One frustration I've often had is that they'd group kids who didn't go well together, the teachers for some years were not even certified in the disability area of my son, they sometimes didn't even get a copy of the paper work/iep, much less knowing all the behavior mod and sensory integration strategies he needed.

Finally, I just viewed it as summer camp. He kept up social contacts and had some kind of school routine.

The school he is in now keeps the same classes so it goes better but last year it added up to 12 days for the whole summer and they were 3.5 hour days.
 
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