|
Post by Chris too on Apr 3, 2008 8:42:58 GMT -5
I have a problem that I have hesitated to post here, but I really need advise. Stevie is turning 3 in 2 months & I'm becoming more & more convinced that she will not qualify even special education services at all under the old IDEA. Under the new IDEA (2004), she qualifies but not explicitly - the law says that the school system cannot wait for a child to fail to provide services, that they must take into account the likelihood of failure without services. Stevie is barely delayed in fine motor (15%), not delayed in self-helps, barely delayed in gross motor (10-20%), not at all delayed in speech (they may find an area or two where she lags 5%, but others where she's ahead), and pretty far ahead in social skills. She has no medical reasons right now that would cause her to miss school. So that leaves it down to cognition. This may be where I will hang my hope because tests for cognition are very imprecise. I will ask them to give her every benefit of the doubt by subtracting any error percentage from her tested IQ - so if the error is +/- 10 points, that they subtract 10 from her score so that we assume the lowest possible IQ. I don't know about you, but to me that just stinks. I need to get an advocate so that the new law will be interpreted correctly & provide Stevie with the services she needs (she falls off on skills within 1 month of loss of services). Can anyone tell me how to go about getting an advocate - I cannot afford to pay for this advocate, so I need one that is paid by someone else Any advise is greatly appreciated. I really do not want to let Stevie lose skills from loss of services just to prove this point to the school system.
|
|
|
Post by Connie on Apr 3, 2008 9:00:53 GMT -5
Chris,
Jeanine will work really well with you. Collin at 3 had normal social skills and normal IQ (low but still normal). His fine motor skills he was only delay about 18% if I remember right and they managed to get him services with no problem...let me know if you want me to run his books over to you to look at...it might give you an idea!!
But, Collin was labeled with a speach delay....
Northwestern has stepped upto the plate when it comes to Collin...you may not have the problems you are picturing!!!
Connie
|
|
|
Post by Googsmom aka Jennifer on Apr 3, 2008 10:22:36 GMT -5
Is Stevie going to go to outside school or are you homeschooling her? Don't the same rules apply either way? I would look up on wrights law to see if NOT helping her even if she is just a little delayed is legal. I just don't think it could be. Mary, as you know, only is delayed in some things and thankfully because of alot of hard work between us and me hounding the school w/ my legal facts, she still gets the help she needs Does her theripists know of any good advocates or resorces you could ask? I'd ask them too. Let me do some more thinking. Your lucky, you have Connie by you to help
|
|
|
Post by Googsmom aka Jennifer on Apr 3, 2008 10:42:55 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Googsmom aka Jennifer on Apr 3, 2008 10:48:47 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Chris too on Apr 3, 2008 11:56:48 GMT -5
Oh good, Connie, I was hoping you'd see this. Jeanine is the one who told me that "she might not qualify" for special education services. She is wrong, of course, but this is the attitude that I'm having to work with. I have been told by others in the area that Jeanine is great & will be very helpful, but I'm having a different experience. Do you know where I might get an advocate, or do you think that I'd be received with a better attitude if I go it alone?
|
|
|
Post by Connie on Apr 3, 2008 12:43:40 GMT -5
My first conversation with Jeanine consisted of....
Me: How does the school feel about inclusion and modifying ciricullum...not a different, just modified?
Jeanine: Depends on how hard you are willing to fight!!!
Collin had normal IQ tests when he was younger and now he is in the Mild to Moderate range. I allowed them to label him moderate just so he could get more services. He is suppose to have more testing this year and they asked me if I wanted it....My response. Is it going ot change his placement? Then NO!!!
When do you conference? Maybe we can get together before then.
Connie
|
|
|
Post by Connie on Apr 3, 2008 12:49:00 GMT -5
Chris,
I forgot to mention. I was told Collin didn't qualify either because in Indiana just having DS doesn't qualify you. You actually have to show a deficit. Isn't that crazy. But, if you have a good re-pore with your therapists you should be able to get this done.
Don't worry about what the reports say. You know your child and what she is actually doing.
Heck, 2 years ago they told me Collin wasn't eating with a spoon or fork, wasn't saying please or thank you etc....Yeah right. You know me....like I would put up with that non-verbal child or not!!! He was able to sign please and thank you and I demanded it....poor testing!!! But, he got services because of it!!!
Connie
|
|
|
Post by momofrussell on Apr 3, 2008 13:00:18 GMT -5
Well ,they can't use the "old IDEA" If anyone says she doesn't qualify, I'd have them explicitly show you were in IDEA 2004 that she doesn't qualify. When was she tested last? A.
|
|
|
Post by Chris too on Apr 4, 2008 8:28:45 GMT -5
She's only had one eval done so far for the school system. It was done by the OT for fine motor & self-helps. Stevie's SLP is pretty sure that Stevie will not qualify for speech, but maybe she won't like the evaluator She can be very stubborn about talking if she isn't happy with you at the moment. Also, there is no telling how clear the evaluator will think Stevie is - she doesn't interact with Stevie even weekly like the SLP, so we could easily be vastly overestimating her clarity. I sure hope so because it is the area that she most loses skills in without therapy. The PT ran through a checklist (but not an official eval) and found Stevie to be at or above age level for stationary tasks & having some delay in locomotion skills, but that will all be out the window if Stevie learns to jump before she's evaluated, since it's the only skill she's missing. The thing is her retention is the pits. Without therapy, she tanks on the skills. One of the reasons she had a delay in fine motor was because her OT had been satisfied with her stacking 8 cubes with each hand & so hadn't had her stacking in over a month. So when tested, she could only stack 4. It is possible that we will have to demonstrate this lack of retention with new evidence, but the current evidence should be enough with the new law. We have valid reasons to believe that Stevie will fail if not given the services. I'm hoping that Connie is right & Jeanine is flexible & willing to yield if I am willing to fight. I'm breaking in my gloves now Thanks everyone! Connie has my back right here where I live & the support & encouragement from you all here on Uno is huge!
|
|
|
Post by Connie on Apr 4, 2008 14:01:23 GMT -5
Chris, I thought I would have to put my gloves on too....To my surprise I actually took them off when I left the big school!!! The school has given me things I've not even asked for...It's not written into his IEP but Collin pretty much has his own aid...which can be a good or bad thing Connie
|
|
|
Post by momofrussell on Apr 4, 2008 14:08:54 GMT -5
Well, when we transitioned into the school system we had a psych eval for Russell to look at his over all developement. I know most places do PT, ST, OT evals.. but I think a psych type eval should be done... has she ever had one of those? That is how they come up with an educational dx's etc.
Coincidentally... Russell never had ST when he started at 3 because he wasn't talking yet LOL
A.
|
|
|
Post by Chris too on May 5, 2008 10:05:44 GMT -5
Well, after having viewed the "evaluations", I'm no longer worried about Stevie qualifying for special ed. Not because she didn't do well, but because the tests they used were ... well ... um... poor, experiencial, not any any way seeking to find the aptitude nor the current skill level of the child. I was frankly shocked at the inadequacy of these "tests." I could design a better test in an afternoon.
Anyway, Stevie should benefit from their results. So now the only difficulty will be in setting goals high enough to benefit her. I haven't seen the results of these evals, but I can't imagine what information they could have derived from them at all. It will all be down to personal opinion. They may as well have just spent an hour playing with her & then written out their personal opinions. *sigh*
|
|
|
Post by Connie on May 5, 2008 11:20:27 GMT -5
Chris, Our COOP is wonderful isn't it Collin's last testing was basically TERRIBLE TOO!!! Connie
|
|
|
Post by Chris too on May 5, 2008 22:11:22 GMT -5
A, she did her psych eval on Thursday. It was interesting. That's the best I can say. The test was thoroughly experiencial - if she'd experienced it, she knew it, if not, then she didn't. No testing her learning or retaining abilities at all. No testing to see how well she understood instructions with multiple steps. The only instructions given were "give me the ...", otherwise it was questioning: "where does it go?"(matching) "what is it?"(naming) Not even "What do you see?" or "What does he want?" She is correctly answering these types of questions with sentances: "I see ... cat" or "Baby wants ... hat" It's just as well for qualification. It will be interesting writing up goals. I'm not even worried about that though because I know the therapists she will be working with. They are always looking ahead to the next goal, knowing that Stevie will accomplish all that they have set down already. I dread the day when this stops happening, though I know she will hit a wall one day. I'm just glad I have you all here to pick me up, brush me off & set me back on the treadmill
|
|