Post by laurasnowbird on Aug 23, 2005 8:15:30 GMT -5
OK, this is one of those just wondering posts, but I'm wondering because of a conversation that Jessie and I had at lunch.
She mentioned that the school was not too concerned about Jason's IEP because his goals have been unchanged for 2 years because he has failed to meet them. So, in their eyes, I guess, it's OK to just let things coast and assume that he is unable to accomplish those things. That made me so angry, especially because she said that Jason's speech therapist said that he has the most sophisticated way of using his PECS type system of any child she works with. He's obviously a bright boy, and they are failing him!
It brought to mind something that Pete Wright said at a Wrightslaw conference I attended a couple of years ago, so I thought I would share. He discussed exactly this kind of situation as it relates to kids with special needs, and said that if your child hits a developmental road block, rather than letting the school blame it on your child, assuming it is their cognitive delay, we need to throw it back in their court. In other words, we need to say (nicely of course) "The methods that have been used up to this point are obviously not working, so we need to change our approach". Hold the school accountable for finding a method that allows your child to achieve his/her goal. (Remember, they are the experts, aren't they always telling us that, LOL?)
As someone said at a state department of ed meeting the other day said, Einstein is quoted as having defined insanity as "Insanity: the belief that one can get different results by doing the same thing." I think that pretty much sums it up. If the strategy that the school or therapist is using has failed to produce the progress you're looking for, require them to come up with another strategy. Don't let them do the same thing over and over and assume that the fault is with your child, or pull the cognitive impairment label out of their bag of tricks. Grrrrrrr, that makes me so mad!
Please don't get the idea that I think all teachers are doing this, or even that I believe a change in methods will always work. There will be things our kids can't do. Those will be tough to accept. But don't go there until they have tried numerous approaches and failed. (And even then, I would insist that they try again later, maybe they just aren't ready yet, LOL!)
So, I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this, and if so, how did you handle it? It seems like many of us will encounter this at some time or another, and it might help to share strategies!
She mentioned that the school was not too concerned about Jason's IEP because his goals have been unchanged for 2 years because he has failed to meet them. So, in their eyes, I guess, it's OK to just let things coast and assume that he is unable to accomplish those things. That made me so angry, especially because she said that Jason's speech therapist said that he has the most sophisticated way of using his PECS type system of any child she works with. He's obviously a bright boy, and they are failing him!
It brought to mind something that Pete Wright said at a Wrightslaw conference I attended a couple of years ago, so I thought I would share. He discussed exactly this kind of situation as it relates to kids with special needs, and said that if your child hits a developmental road block, rather than letting the school blame it on your child, assuming it is their cognitive delay, we need to throw it back in their court. In other words, we need to say (nicely of course) "The methods that have been used up to this point are obviously not working, so we need to change our approach". Hold the school accountable for finding a method that allows your child to achieve his/her goal. (Remember, they are the experts, aren't they always telling us that, LOL?)
As someone said at a state department of ed meeting the other day said, Einstein is quoted as having defined insanity as "Insanity: the belief that one can get different results by doing the same thing." I think that pretty much sums it up. If the strategy that the school or therapist is using has failed to produce the progress you're looking for, require them to come up with another strategy. Don't let them do the same thing over and over and assume that the fault is with your child, or pull the cognitive impairment label out of their bag of tricks. Grrrrrrr, that makes me so mad!
Please don't get the idea that I think all teachers are doing this, or even that I believe a change in methods will always work. There will be things our kids can't do. Those will be tough to accept. But don't go there until they have tried numerous approaches and failed. (And even then, I would insist that they try again later, maybe they just aren't ready yet, LOL!)
So, I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this, and if so, how did you handle it? It seems like many of us will encounter this at some time or another, and it might help to share strategies!
What I found that worked, and I am just speaking for me here, was I did the leg work and found other ways to teach Chris and came to the table with it and suggested it be done with him 
Have to be honest, if I waited for the teachers to come up with new ways, Chris and I would still be waiting 
Just having trouble getting it out 
