How Can We Speed Up the Process of Getting a Dedicated Aide in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

Addressing the behavior is a great idea, but the child needs to be kept safe while that happens. A dedicated aide can always be taken off the IEP if the strategies from the FBA work, but in the meantime it sounds like closer supervision is warranted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

Addressing the behavior is a great idea, but the child needs to be kept safe while that happens. A dedicated aide can always be taken off the IEP if the strategies from the FBA work, but in the meantime it sounds like closer supervision is warranted.

Typo-ish PP here, now on a computer. I think keeping the child safe is a great idea, obviously, but that can be accomplished without a dedicated aide, I think. The child could be in a classroom in with a low teacher-student ratio, for example. That also seems more likely to be accomplished in DCPS, imo. But she can fight for the dedicated aide if she wants -- don't mind me!

And anyway, mainly, I just really want to encourage OP to get the behavior addressed and I think that the FBA etc will help with that a lot. I mention it so strongly because it didn't seem to be on her radar screen.

As to my charter "not really doing aides", well I suppose I cannot say this for sure. I haven't seen this happen in our grade, and there IS a kid with this issue. But I don't know everyone! And I suppose the dedicated aide wouldn't be designated as such on the website or whatever -- more likely just listed as "aide" or "special ed teacher." I'm not sure how the other PP knows for sure that her charter NEVER does this?

Also at my charter we were definitely not told that the next stop after a behavior plan would be private placement, unlike other charter PP. My child had significant behavioral issues and this was never mentioned at all. The reports (from the Public Charter School Board) show zero expulsions from my charter.

No idea on advocates, haven't used one. Charter has been quite cooperative with the IEP process. Would definitely get one in DCPS though.

[Anonymous]

Double posting - Here is a useful reference about requesting paraprofessional aide.

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/relsvc.aide.steedman.htm

Hope it helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

Addressing the behavior is a great idea, but the child needs to be kept safe while that happens. A dedicated aide can always be taken off the IEP if the strategies from the FBA work, but in the meantime it sounds like closer supervision is warranted.

Typo-ish PP here, now on a computer. I think keeping the child safe is a great idea, obviously, but that can be accomplished without a dedicated aide, I think. The child could be in a classroom in with a low teacher-student ratio, for example. That also seems more likely to be accomplished in DCPS, imo. But she can fight for the dedicated aide if she wants -- don't mind me!

And anyway, mainly, I just really want to encourage OP to get the behavior addressed and I think that the FBA etc will help with that a lot. I mention it so strongly because it didn't seem to be on her radar screen.

As to my charter "not really doing aides", well I suppose I cannot say this for sure. I haven't seen this happen in our grade, and there IS a kid with this issue. But I don't know everyone! And I suppose the dedicated aide wouldn't be designated as such on the website or whatever -- more likely just listed as "aide" or "special ed teacher." I'm not sure how the other PP knows for sure that her charter NEVER does this?

Also at my charter we were definitely not told that the next stop after a behavior plan would be private placement, unlike other charter PP. My child had significant behavioral issues and this was never mentioned at all. The reports (from the Public Charter School Board) show zero expulsions from my charter.

No idea on advocates, haven't used one. Charter has been quite cooperative with the IEP process. Would definitely get one in DCPS though.

We've been at the charter for several yrs. We are at an immersion language charter and yes, I know for a fact that no one at our charter has ever gotten a dedicated aide.

Definitely do the FBA! It was pretty miraculous for us and got rid of all DS's problem behaviors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

I agree. My DS tried to run out of the classroom and school building several times this year and would scratch and kick anyone who tried to hold him in. He had an FBA and a behavioral intervention plan and no longer does this.

Getting an FBA will not get you an aide to stop elopement. The next step after a FBA is a behavior plan to improve behavior. At our charter, if the behavioral plan does not improve behavior, the next step is private placement at a SN school not a dedicated aide.

And that is blatantly illegal. The law says that the appropriate placement is the least restrictive environment, with whatever supports are necessary. There are, of course, issues and conditions that cannot be fixed by having a dedicated aide and where a private placement would be appropriate. But to say categorically that a student must go to a dedicated SN school (by definition, not the least restrictive environment) instead of getting an aide that would allow success in the general education community (the least restrictive environment) is illegal.

Plus, not all kids need a dedicated aid because of behavior. Some might need one because of medical issues -- i.e. seizures or needing mobility assistance -- and going to a SN school instead of getting that aide would be inappropriate.

But we are talking about getting an aide solely for behavior/elopement. Private SN placement instead of an aide isn't illegal if the behavior endangers the kid and others. The school can argue that in these cases, the LRE is a school that has the type of security and personnel that can deal with these types of behaviors. I don't know if pp and we are at the same charter but no one at our highly regarded charter has a dedicated aide. Also, I was told by our charter that they would have no problem recommending us for private funding for SN school and we would not have had to go through due process if DS's behavior did not improve after the FBA.

Get the FBA. Hopefully getting a behavior plan will stop the running. If it does not, ask for the aide, maybe it's easier to get an aide in DCPS.

Private school placement isn't illegal if that's the only way to keep the kid safe/educate the kid. But it is illegal if, categorically, that's the go to solution without trying other things, such as a dedicated aide. The fact that no one in your charter has a dedicated aide merely suggests that either 1) the charter has other mechanisms that discourage kids with significant disabilities from attending (more significant than your kid with extremely high functioning autism) or 2) that it illegally kicks kids out who might be successful if an aide was provided.

More than 2 scenarios. Many DC Charter schools are new and no parents of kids with significant special needs (e.g. ones that might need an aide) may have applied or enrolled -- as a SN parent I would be wary of going to a new school, charter or not.

Or they have found other ways to manage kids with SN short of a dedicated aide.

Just saying there could be many other reasons why no child in a particular charter has a dedicated aide without assuming that the school is doing something illegal.

DS attends an immersion language charter where prek3 and prek4 are all in Mandarin, no English, and K onwards is 50% English and 50% mandarin with kids switching language/classrooms every other day. All the kids with IEPs are diagnosed once they start school since no parent who is aware that their child has SNs would pick this school for their child. My kid with ASD/ADHD is about as severe as it gets. No one at our school has ever gotten a dedicated aide. Sp Ed teacher in the classroom, yes. Dedicated aide, no.

[Anonymous]

Who exactly pays for all these 1:1 aides?

[Anonymous]

Original parent here. Thanks again for all the replies. Today they responded about the functional behavioral assessment. I've been told it takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete, which is why they want to wait until the fall to start the process. (There are only about 4 weeks left in our school year.) While I understand that, I feel like something needs to be done while that process works itself out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

I am very familiar with the DC process for getting a dedicated aide. Like the above posters said you need to request an IEP meeting, ASAP. At the meeting, request a dedicated aide when they say no, ask for the following assessments:

functional behavior assessment
occupational therapy assessment
educational assessment
neuro-psych assessment
assistive technology assessment

Insist on all of the above assessments, if they say no. Simply say I want IEEs for all of the above assessments. When the assessments are complete you will have enough data to warrant a dedicated aide. I'm a former SPED chair for a local school system and I have had many dealings with DCPS -- their antics are often illegal. They will cave in and provide what your child needs if you demand the above assessments - they will claim not enough data to warrant dedicated aide and the aforementioned assessments will give you the data you need.


FBA - DCPS will complete
Neuro-psych - William Stixrud... This fella is amazing!
Assistive technology: Phoenix, Out of the Box Accessibility Solutions or L3 (if they still exist)
Educational - Weinfeld GroupOT - Phoenix or Connaboy

Were you successful in getting the dedicated aide? I teach in DCPS and I am also a mom of a SN kid. The school system has always told us- teachers, that we don't 'do' dedicated aides.
Also- if you don't mind, what Ward are you in? The few times I have heard about parents being successful they have been in NW schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who exactly pays for all these 1:1 aides?

1:1 aides are not common. But where they have been determined necessary for a child to receive FAPE, the expense would come from the same special ed budget as all other related service providers (SLPs, OT, psych, social workers).

[Anonymous]

OP - If your child is "a runner" does not have the cognitive capacity to understand danger and why this is wrong to be doing, then just getting an aide is not the only thing you may need to do. You really will need to sit down with the administrators of the charter school who again may never have dealt with such a situation to look at a lot of things:

- Specific training that will be required of any aide hired (also consider size and strength of your son)
- Definite line of responsibility for your son when aide might be eating lunch or on other break.
- Danger points within the building when he could most likely "escape" out of the building.
- Can he reasonably be allowed outside the school building for p.e. class or recess?
- Does school building need a time out or cool down space for him to go if this might hep as an behavior analysis is done?

It is balance of his academic program and his safety that needs to be weighed and if his behavior is such a risk then a charter school placement may not be in his best interest in terms of secure setting. And again the size and training of an aide so that neither the adult nor your son is injured is also key. Again LRE and the safety needs of your son need an appropriate balance. Maybe the kind of setting you envision will work in a few years with some maturation and training on his part rather than now when see seems so at-risk for flight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who exactly pays for all these 1:1 aides?

1:1 aides are not common. But where they have been determined necessary for a child to receive FAPE, the expense would come from the same special ed budget as all other related service providers (SLPs, OT, psych, social workers).

A 1:1 aide is certainly less expensive than the alternative-tuition to a private special needs school, which will run the school system about 80k each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

I agree. My DS tried to run out of the classroom and school building several times this year and would scratch and kick anyone who tried to hold him in. He had an FBA and a behavioral intervention plan and no longer does this.

Getting an FBA will not get you an aide to stop elopement. The next step after a FBA is a behavior plan to improve behavior. At our charter, if the behavioral plan does not improve behavior, the next step is private placement at a SN school not a dedicated aide.

And that is blatantly illegal. The law says that the appropriate placement is the least restrictive environment, with whatever supports are necessary. There are, of course, issues and conditions that cannot be fixed by having a dedicated aide and where a private placement would be appropriate. But to say categorically that a student must go to a dedicated SN school (by definition, not the least restrictive environment) instead of getting an aide that would allow success in the general education community (the least restrictive environment) is illegal.

Plus, not all kids need a dedicated aid because of behavior. Some might need one because of medical issues -- i.e. seizures or needing mobility assistance -- and going to a SN school instead of getting that aide would be inappropriate.

But we are talking about getting an aide solely for behavior/elopement. Private SN placement instead of an aide isn't illegal if the behavior endangers the kid and others. The school can argue that in these cases, the LRE is a school that has the type of security and personnel that can deal with these types of behaviors. I don't know if pp and we are at the same charter but no one at our highly regarded charter has a dedicated aide. Also, I was told by our charter that they would have no problem recommending us for private funding for SN school and we would not have had to go through due process if DS's behavior did not improve after the FBA.

Get the FBA. Hopefully getting a behavior plan will stop the running. If it does not, ask for the aide, maybe it's easier to get an aide in DCPS.

Private school placement isn't illegal if that's the only way to keep the kid safe/educate the kid. But it is illegal if, categorically, that's the go to solution without trying other things, such as a dedicated aide. The fact that no one in your charter has a dedicated aide merely suggests that either 1) the charter has other mechanisms that discourage kids with significant disabilities from attending (more significant than your kid with extremely high functioning autism) or 2) that it illegally kicks kids out who might be successful if an aide was provided.

More than 2 scenarios. Many DC Charter schools are new and no parents of kids with significant special needs (e.g. ones that might need an aide) may have applied or enrolled -- as a SN parent I would be wary of going to a new school, charter or not.

Or they have found other ways to manage kids with SN short of a dedicated aide.

Just saying there could be many other reasons why no child in a particular charter has a dedicated aide without assuming that the school is doing something illegal.

DS attends an immersion language charter where prek3 and prek4 are all in Mandarin, no English, and K onwards is 50% English and 50% mandarin with kids switching language/classrooms every other day. All the kids with IEPs are diagnosed once they start school since no parent who is aware that their child has SNs would pick this school for their child. My kid with ASD/ADHD is about as severe as it gets. No one at our school has ever gotten a dedicated aide. Sp Ed teacher in the classroom, yes. Dedicated aide, no.

So if you want your kid with severe SN to get private placement, it seems that applying to Yu Ying would actually be a better way of getting it than to send your kid to DCPS and fight for it! Very interesting. I'd love to know about other charters/LEAs that are very willing to do private placements like this.

[Anonymous]

Not totally on point, but my child with SN has a dedicated aide at a charter school in DC (not Yu Ying). I am not sure if other parents in his class would know that the aide is "his" if we hadn't told them. The school doesn't say "Miss Nancy is Larla's dedicated aide," Nancy is just another aide in the classroom and does interact with other kids, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

I agree. My DS tried to run out of the classroom and school building several times this year and would scratch and kick anyone who tried to hold him in. He had an FBA and a behavioral intervention plan and no longer does this.

Getting an FBA will not get you an aide to stop elopement. The next step after a FBA is a behavior plan to improve behavior. At our charter, if the behavioral plan does not improve behavior, the next step is private placement at a SN school not a dedicated aide.

And that is blatantly illegal. The law says that the appropriate placement is the least restrictive environment, with whatever supports are necessary. There are, of course, issues and conditions that cannot be fixed by having a dedicated aide and where a private placement would be appropriate. But to say categorically that a student must go to a dedicated SN school (by definition, not the least restrictive environment) instead of getting an aide that would allow success in the general education community (the least restrictive environment) is illegal.

Plus, not all kids need a dedicated aid because of behavior. Some might need one because of medical issues -- i.e. seizures or needing mobility assistance -- and going to a SN school instead of getting that aide would be inappropriate.

But we are talking about getting an aide solely for behavior/elopement. Private SN placement instead of an aide isn't illegal if the behavior endangers the kid and others. The school can argue that in these cases, the LRE is a school that has the type of security and personnel that can deal with these types of behaviors. I don't know if pp and we are at the same charter but no one at our highly regarded charter has a dedicated aide. Also, I was told by our charter that they would have no problem recommending us for private funding for SN school and we would not have had to go through due process if DS's behavior did not improve after the FBA.

Get the FBA. Hopefully getting a behavior plan will stop the running. If it does not, ask for the aide, maybe it's easier to get an aide in DCPS.

Private school placement isn't illegal if that's the only way to keep the kid safe/educate the kid. But it is illegal if, categorically, that's the go to solution without trying other things, such as a dedicated aide. The fact that no one in your charter has a dedicated aide merely suggests that either 1) the charter has other mechanisms that discourage kids with significant disabilities from attending (more significant than your kid with extremely high functioning autism) or 2) that it illegally kicks kids out who might be successful if an aide was provided.

More than 2 scenarios. Many DC Charter schools are new and no parents of kids with significant special needs (e.g. ones that might need an aide) may have applied or enrolled -- as a SN parent I would be wary of going to a new school, charter or not.

Or they have found other ways to manage kids with SN short of a dedicated aide.

Just saying there could be many other reasons why no child in a particular charter has a dedicated aide without assuming that the school is doing something illegal.

DS attends an immersion language charter where prek3 and prek4 are all in Mandarin, no English, and K onwards is 50% English and 50% mandarin with kids switching language/classrooms every other day. All the kids with IEPs are diagnosed once they start school since no parent who is aware that their child has SNs would pick this school for their child. My kid with ASD/ADHD is about as severe as it gets. No one at our school has ever gotten a dedicated aide. Sp Ed teacher in the classroom, yes. Dedicated aide, no.

So if you want your kid with severe SN to get private placement, it seems that applying to Yu Ying would actually be a better way of getting it than to send your kid to DCPS and fight for it! Very interesting. I'd love to know about other charters/LEAs that are very willing to do private placements like this.

It does not work that way. The school will try "everything" before recommending private placement, which means the kid will be at Yu Ying for at least a year or two. My child started there in preK4 without behavior issues and he started having behavioral problems in 2nd grade.

The kids who are given placement at a SN school usually have been there for a few years. Not sure why a parent would knowingly send a child to a school that is a bad "fit" hoping to get private placement. Also, it's very difficult to get in so they would be taking the place of another child where the school would be a good "fit".

[Anonymous]

My posting about whether the charter school was able to handle "a runner" was to be focused on the safety of the child as a central issue that just an aide may not be enough if one has that kind of expression of a disability. In truth I guess if a child could not comprehend one should not run out of the building, there is a good reason to ask what he/she might be getting out of an immersion charter school program - if cognitively the student is not able to do the work - because surely these are very selective programs based upon the ability and interests of the students who apply to be able to do the work and benefit from the placement.