Lack of therapists.

[mydsgirl]

I may have to make an appointment for Emma's school. The school is trying to hire a new speech therapist. No therapy at this point this year. That also means she does not have her communication device yet this year. Also, the therapist/teacher for the hearing impaired is pregnant and not seeing students often as she is preparing for maternity leave.

This to me doesn't sound like Emma's problem, it sounds like the schools problem. Both of these therapies are listed on Emma's IEP so they are required to provide these services.

Grumble, grumble, I may give them another week and that's it. What do you think?

[Googsmom aka Jennifer]

Your right! This is NOT Emma's problem!!!! This is just snippets from the Oregon SpEd book:

"If the child has an IEP in place that requires assistive technology [communication devise] the school is required to purchace the AT devise,... repair and maintain the devise."

"On occasion,the school may be required to purchace and AT device for your child's use in your home, if it is necessary for your child to recieve a FAPE"

"This should be implamented no later than the first week of school or 30 days after a request from the IEP team" [for new IEP requirements]

Have you written a letter asking why this hasn't been delt with? Please do so. Phone calls are not enuf, sad to say, but writen letters no one can deny they never saw it or heard of it.{if they don't anwser, send it certified. I've done it } You have a paper trail. If they don't get on the ball ASAP, write a nice letter requesting an IEP meeting and write in their your concern of her not having her communication devise as of yet [which is in her IEP].

A~ will have more advise i'm sure (i've learned so much from A, she's smart) I just had to throw my two cents in here.

[momofrussell]

They need a gentle reminder of how your daughter's IEP reads.... it's one thing as a parent to acknowledge that sometimes schools have issues and are trying to fix them but at the end of the day, you are right, it's not your daughter's fault and it's in violation of her IEP.

I would suggest a phone call to your district or county or state spec ed dept and ask them what your rights and recourse is... then put something gentle in writing to simply say that this needs to be addressed and in a timely matter. But I'd call higher up first to see (and it lets someone else know what's going on) what can be done....

And yes, put things in writing

Oh.. and LOL thanks Googsmom!

A.

[CC]

"Both of these therapies are listed on Emma's IEP so they are required to provide these services."

If they are listed they HAVE to provide its the law. If they will not have a st for some time then you can go to a private therapist and they have to pick up the cost. If they will be getting a therapist soon they will have to make up the sessions that were missed so far.

I would put it all in writing.

Best of Luck

CC ~

[steffipoo]

Hi I agree with A wholeheartedly put whatever concerns you have in writing. Do it as nicely as you can as you will get a much better response from those who are going to perhaps help you. Write down all the dates she has missed st due to school problems so she can get whatever was missed given back to her. They may have to get an outside st. But will tell you have always went in sweetly yet firm and have had gr8 results. Going in hostile which sounds like your not tends to get the district defensive and not a gr8 way to fill the rest of the school years. I've smiled and said NO sorry but I won't budge on that but thanks for asking smile smile hee hee. Liv has always gotten whatever she has needed this way. Hey I even go to the ieps's with a pitcher of coffee n tea company coffee and pastries to start off the meeting in a nice friendly way. I've compromised on issues many times as well as the district for me but when it comes to something I feel is ultra imp I will say no and they "get it."(((HUGS))) Steff

[ALLISA]

just found this.....how did things turn out for you??