Tips for Seeking IEP for Incoming K at MCPS?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
forgot to add: private OT is great for working on difficult tasks as well. |
Anonymous
Thanks for this. It is really the preschool teacher's concern that has me worried and trying to take action now. She felt we should look into the McLean school and is worried that because DD is not disruptive, she will get lost with a 24 to 1 ratio. Private is just so expensive that I'm hoping the school will be able to do some things and I can supplement. She really thinks it is dyslexia and adhd. While some say it is too early to diagnose dyslexia, she will be one of the oldest in the class as she will be 6 in September. |
Anonymous
I would take what the preschool teacher says with a big grain of salt. they aren't supposed to diagnose like that, and dyslexia would be hard even for a professional to diagnose! Some preschool teachers are like that. |
Anonymous
MCPS. |
Anonymous
By "starting the process" for an IEP with MCPS you are essentially asking them to do an assessment, yet you say you have a neuropsych scheduled? Here is how it works for MCPS -- you ask for an IEP in writing and they have 30 days to set the initial IEP eligibility screening meeting. Then, if the IEP team (which includes YOU and anyone you want to invite) decides if there is enough evidence to show that there might (not definitely but might) be a need for an IEP. If so, at the screening meeting, the IEP team decides what kind of assessment is need to make a final determination of eligibility. What the school tries to get away with as an "assessment" can vary widely from nothing more than informal classroom observation and teacher reports (which would not be a legally adequate assessment) to proper psychoeducational assessment with IQ and full range of achievement testing. MCPS has 60 days to do the assessment and schedule the final determination meeting. MCPS must share all materials for the IEP meeting (including the assessment) with you 5 days before the meeting. If an IEP is determined to be necessary, then the IEP team has another 30 days to write the IEP and meet to finalize it. The thing is, if you have already scheduled a private neuropsych, then you might want to wait for that to come back and wait to have the IEP meeting until after you can share the neuropsych report. Often, a team will decide to just take the neuropsych report and use that rather than do their own assessment. (They have a heavy caseload and this makes it easier for them, plus it's usually more comprehensive than what they would do and your neuropsych may do some testing that can't be duplicated for another 6 mos.) Sometimes, if you present the neuropsych, the eligibility screening and determination meeting can be collapsed into one meeting, because the "assessment" is already done (provided by you). If your neuropsych isn't scheduled until Nov., it usually takes about 6 weeks to get the written report back, add on the timeline for all the IEP meetings to screen, determine eligibility, write the IEP, etc. and you won't have an IEP until Feb. at the earliest probably. Overall, this isn't bad if it helps you get what you want in the end. You can use the time that DC is in school but doesn't have the IEP yet to document the ways in which her problems are impacting her education, which will help with the IEP. IME, MCPS is terrible at teaching reading and writing, so if you see problems with letter recognition and other reading or writing related skills, I would plan on finding a private tutor to start with your DD in the spring of K if she doesn't respond well to K instruction. Better to remediate early, IMO. Look for people skilled in OG or other explicit phonics-based instruction and handwriting instruction. |
Anonymous
This is not a DCPS or MCPS thing. It’s the way IDEA is written to define related service. |
Anonymous
Oh you're right - I think I was confusing it with the state's ability to define "developmental delay." But the gist of what I wrote is (I think) correct, right? If the only service you need is OT, then you won't get an IEP because that's not "special education." You have to find a way to link the delay or disability to some modification of in-class instruction. The way we did this with my kid who REALLY needed fine motor support is to argue that the in class instruction needed to be adapted as well (with teacher training and push-in by the special ed generalist). This was in addition to the OT pull outs. We also argued that there were behavioral issues. But really, it was the significant fine motor delay that was the main issue. And I don't mean just not writing well; he could barely scribble on his own when he started K (despite a whole year of private and ISP OT before that). I think my kid was a fairly unique case though; it seems like usually a fine motor delay is not that severe when it's the most prominent "symptom" at the time. You can also hitch the OT to speech therapy, since that is defined in the statute as "special education." |
Anonymous
We are in the same situation right now. For sure we need speech, and are highly monitoring for dyslexia and ADD inattentive. She was not in a traditional PK but exhibits inattentiveness, letter/number recog issues, gets frustrated easily even when coloring, etc. Plus our family history of ADHD and sometimes dyslexia. SHould I call our MCPS ES now about setting up speech tests or getting the process done? She literally will not say certain blended sound words, will sub in a synonym. She shuts down. Or should we do this under the radar and via private therapy and tests? She was in speech therapy and responded well when 4 yo. |
Anonymous
| Get an educational consultant |
Anonymous
|
What percentage of students are struggling at school (FARMS rate isn't perfect but it is a good proxy for SES which correlates to academic achievement)? If your child is in a school with many needy children your child is going to seem fine or even ahead of other children who haven't been exposed to books, can't even write their name, don't know any letters, etc. The school is going to look at your request and explain that all your concerns are things that are taught in kindergarten and students are NOT expected to enter K already knowing those things. So for example, you are concerned she writes her letters starting from the bottom, they will say "wow, great that she can even write letters". If they are legible no one cares how they are formed (unless you have a rare kindergarten teacher who actually teaches and emphasizes letter formation- most new teachers don't).
You are going to have a big battle with the schools to have any of your concerns addressed in kindergarten. Why not wait a month into Kindergarten and see how she does. Meanwhile in the summer, buy the kindergarten handwriting without tears material -including the teacher's guide and work on handwriting. |