What is an IEP and will is stigmatize my child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9:32 are you at MV? can you post more about your experience at MV? We are too.

No, we're at YY.

[Anonymous]

We are at Capital City and have a wonderful experience with the special education team. My son is oblivious to the IEP even though he is pulled out of class for reading. It has helped alot!

[Anonymous]

I agree with all the postings here, but in FCPS we had to fight tooth and nail for an IEP. For some reason, some administrators think it is their job to make sure kids don't get a 504 or an IEP and do everything to make your requst for an IEP as difficult as possible. 504s are worthless in FCPS (can't sue) but IEPs, when properly written (read Wrightslaw.com and get some books on how to write an IEP - it's supposed to be a collaborative process but rarely is in FCPS unless you know your stuff and advocate for your child). By all means get it as soon as you can. It should not stigmatize your child unless they are assigned to self-contained classes where there may be so much chaos that they can't learn. Team taught classes (again, I can talk only about FCPS) are the best. I have never heard of a gifted child having an IEP in Fairfax County but our son has Aspergers and scored in the MENSA range on the ACT - but his IEP specifies he is on the autism spectrum and he needs the IEP for focus and management of his studies, not his brilliance. Also, we have all the AAP classes, the TJ school, and the AP courses in the high schools - all of which the gifted can take advantage of.

[Anonymous]

OP. we are in DCPS (mainstream NW elementary school, not charter). if your child has problem and the school is offering to consider an IEP, definitely take it. my child is in 2nd grade, and the IEP was implemented at the end of 1st grade. we requested it at teh beginning of the year, the request was denied, got a 504 plan, but the school reconsidered at the end of first grade and put the IEP in place. no stigma in our opinion, just a lot of support where our child' weaknesses are. she is very bright and advanced in some aspects, but with ADHD and other issues that were making her life difficult. K was a difficult year and it started affecting her behavior. we wished the IEP was done at the beginning of 1st grade instead of at the end. she is doing great now and the extra help she is getting (a lot of one on one work and support from the school's counselor) is really making a difference. her self estime has improved and so her behavior. the team at our school has been very good and we are happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are at Capital City and have a wonderful experience with the special education team. My son is oblivious to the IEP even though he is pulled out of class for reading. It has helped alot!

Your statement is so mind boggling!!!
After more than a year of constant struggle, we finally got an IEP and a 504 in place. Unfortunately it was completely ignored, and not one single pull out was performed or emails returned.

I had heard that Cap City only caters to "important" parents. I guess it's true.

[Anonymous]

??? Students cannot have both a 504 and an IEP.

The short version:

for 504=only provides accommodations like additional time for tests, quiet room, sits in front, etc

IEP = provides accommodations and services: dedicated aide, OT, PT, speech language therapy, etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IEPs are given when a child has academic/educational or other special needs. If a child requires additional support because of behavior and/or emotional needs usually the student qualifies for a 504 behavior plan. You might want to clarify with school exactly what the concerns are

This is incorrect. IEPs can have behavior plans and emotional supports in it. Generally, an IEP is a stronger, legally enforceable document that should provide whatever is necessary, services and supports, to provide FAPE. If you have a choice between a 504 or an IEP, it is ALWAYS advisable to get the IEP. It's also more difficult to qualify for an IEP as opposed to a 504 plan.

[Anonymous]

Frankly, OP, it is very unusual for a school to want to get a kid on an IEP. What exactly did they say to you?

[Anonymous]

17.23 and a8:31 are correct. You can't have both a 504 (ignored by FCPS) and an IEP at the same time (legally enforceable). FCPS fights IEPs because it means additional costs to the school system such as a second teacher in the classroom, a case worker who is supposed to help out your child when they need an advocate, annual meetings with the team to review. It is very unusual for a public school to suggest an IEP. Unfortunately, the burden is usually on the parent to self-educate, get the testing done and then fight for it. AND it can take a long time to get one.

[Anonymous]

By law, the school had 120 days from the day you ask for your child to be evaluated to getting an IEP in DC. In VA and MD, it is 90 days. The time starts ticking from when you ask for the evaluation (usually emailing the principal) and within 120 days, your child is evaluated and a report is produced, an IEP eligibility meeting is convened and if it is found that your child is eligible for an IEP, an IEP meeting takes place: Services and supports specified in the IEP should take place within a week.

Glitches can occur if the school and parents disagree about the results of the evaluation, eligibility, and/or types of supports and services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frankly, OP, it is very unusual for a school to want to get a kid on an IEP. What exactly did they say to you?

Not in our case. My child's teacher pointed out issues and challenges right away, and basically told us that if we hadn't been in the process of working with our ped to come up with a plan, that she would have referred our child right away. When the ped referred us to an OT and an early childhood specialist, the teacher was quick to tell us that the school has those resources and the benefits of working with them. We resisted at first but are now grateful to her - it really is all working out for the best, and she has a perspective on our child that we do not. My child does not have a plan in place yet, but we are getting there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Frankly, OP, it is very unusual for a school to want to get a kid on an IEP. What exactly did they say to you?


Not in our case. My child's teacher pointed out issues and challenges right away, and basically told us that if we hadn't been in the process of working with our ped to come up with a plan, that she would have referred our child right away. When the ped referred us to an OT and an early childhood specialist, the teacher was quick to tell us that the school has those resources and the benefits of working with them. We resisted at first but are now grateful to her - it really is all working out for the best, and she has a perspective on our child that we do not. My child does not have a plan in place yet, but we are getting there.

Yours is a different example. You had a teacher refer you for testing. That is not what the OP stated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By law, the school had 120 days from the day you ask for your child to be evaluated to getting an IEP in DC. In VA and MD, it is 90 days. The time starts ticking from when you ask for the evaluation (usually emailing the principal) and within 120 days, your child is evaluated and a report is produced, an IEP eligibility meeting is convened and if it is found that your child is eligible for an IEP, an IEP meeting takes place: Services and supports specified in the IEP should take place within a week.

Glitches can occur if the school and parents disagree about the results of the evaluation, eligibility, and/or types of supports and services.

The school has 120 days to start the process of evaluation.

[Anonymous]

The school does not get 4 months to "start the process of evaluation". The whole process from requesting an evaluation, eligibility meeting, IEP meeting all have to take place within 120 days in DC according to the school and our educational consultant when we got an IEP for our son earlier this year.

[Anonymous]

I don't recommend IEP for any child whatsoever. This is an old post, but I'm replying so if somebody else looks this up they can see. IEP will stigmatize your child. Your child will eventually give up because everything will be handed to them throughout the years. They will believe they're stupid and many teachers will talk down to them even if they don't mean to. When or if your child ever says "I don't want to be in IEP" LISTEN TO THEM. Please talk to them about how they feel being in it. The system is incredibly flawed, but nobody seems to be saying a single thing about it, so that's another reason why I'm replying. The goal for IEP is not to help the child learn or find a certain learning ability that'll help your child learn better, but to make sure their grades look good so the school overall can look better. This means they'll basically give you the answers instead of teaching you the material. Kids in IEP will eventually give up because of this. They're drive for learning will disappear because they never had to try in the first place and constantly taken out of class during teaching time. It's absolutely horrible. I've seen students in IEP laugh about how they're the "stupid kids." I've seen teachers act passive aggressively towards these students. Teachers sometimes even say "you'll need IEP to go forward in life." Which is ridiculous because making a child think they NEED this extra 'help' to get through life is depressing. What I recommend is a one on one tutor that is willing to find out a way to teach your child in a way they'll understand better. The problem with high school is that it's all about grades, not about learning. Teachers don't look for the best way to help a child understand, but instead teach in the same generic and boring way. It's about remembering material word for word, not about learning.