DCUM SN community, I need your advice!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is almost one year younger than OP's child, is currently in private pre-k program with itinerant services. His challenges are some behavioral problem, severe expressive language delay, some receptive delay, and some cognitive & social-emotional delay. He is good with number, letter, shape & color, and loves to play with other kids (but limited interaction with them). He also have some autism symptom ( flap hands, line up some toys(but also play in different ways)) & some quirky behavior. He is just labeled developmental delay.

I think my child delay is more severe than OP's child, but mine is never considered for inclusive or self-contained pre-k program. It is because they say he learns better with normal kids, and he just likes to observe & copy other kid behavior & speech. He has been making good improvements in all aspects of delays in current pre-k private preschool ( with normal teachers) with guidelines of itinerant services from special teachers. I think the main helpful factor here for him are structures, fun program & normal kids. I have toured both self-contained & inclusive pre-k program before. I don't like inclusive one ( don't know how to put into words, feel no engagement & does not like the atmosphere) but prefer the self-contained one ( feel every teachers are making special efforts to keep all kids engaged, but I do admit that they all have different needs) more. My child has been trying to copy to act & talk like his current peers at school, even though he is far from there, but his peers love to interact with him. Since he goes to this daycare for 4 months, he has learned to be more behaved ( sit at circle time, line up, wait for his turns), talk more (start to combine 2-3 words & use words to make requests, say polite words), and play more interactively.

I was really upset before that he was not considered for any public pre-k program, but DH tells me that he thinks itinerant services are better & fit for our boy since he improves a lot in his current private pre-k program, and he just needs guidelines & support. He is so happy going to current daycare everyday & I hope this is the right path for him for right now.

We did private preschool with private services and I think it was best for our child/no regrets. Public has been a very disappointing experience. Private was far bettering worth it.

[Anonymous]

OP, my child is 8 years old but sounds very similar to your son. MERLD diagnosis at 3.5 but that has fallen away. A full neuropsych at 7 showed that my child has ADHD and a learning disability. You should absolutely push for LRE and refuse the self contained classroom. My kid has and always will have issues but the school provides needed supports through IEP and we are miles from where we thought we might end up. Time spent with. NT peers is so important.

[Anonymous]

I just posted about my 8 year old who once was diagnosed with MERLD and now is diagnosed with ADHD and a LD. My child does also have dyspraxia, incidentally.

The constant language versus autism battle that you people start up on EVERY THREAD has really got to stop. We are all sick of it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just posted about my 8 year old who once was diagnosed with MERLD and now is diagnosed with ADHD and a LD. My child does also have dyspraxia, incidentally.

The constant language versus autism battle that you people start up on EVERY THREAD has really got to stop. We are all sick of it!

+1,000,000

[Anonymous]

They have to make space in the type of classroom.

[Anonymous]

OP, another MERLD mom here. My DC has been in both inclusion and self-contained. We've had amazing inclusion experiences, and true train wrecks. We've had wonderful self-contained classrooms where huge progress was made, and a year where the teacher was fired at the end because her class was such a mess instructionally and behaviorally.

Based on just my experience, and given that it's preschool, I would try really hard to figure out where the instruction and early intervention will be the best. Which classrooms are multi-sensory or multi-modal (different teachers use different words)? Which provide lots of visual models and repetition? Which are language-rich? In the gen ed setting, which teachers are invested in kids with learning differences--and want to include? (I had an administrator once tell me that a certain teacher didn't like to do inclusion. It's illegal, but thanks for your honesty.)

You probably need to dig into the special needs community immediately around you through more localized listservs and find out what is really happening at your neighborhood school(s).

Best of luck. Again, just my experience. I am a HUGE proponent of inclusion, when done right. But sadly there are still a lot of classrooms in the D.C. area that simply are not. There are also lots of excellent self-contained models in the area, and some horrid ones too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here

OP, the county doesn't get to tell you if there is "space". You get into his IEP the services/setting he needs, and then they need to accommodate it. It is illegal to say, "well, there is no space in the LRE, so let's try the next level."

I teach middle school, but we have had to hire teachers (really subs at that point) to add sections of classes mid year because the number of students has changed.

It’s all made up.

Agree. Biggest BS that FCPS will throw at you. The school will only propose what is convenient for the school and not what’s best for your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just posted about my 8 year old who once was diagnosed with MERLD and now is diagnosed with ADHD and a LD. My child does also have dyspraxia, incidentally.

The constant language versus autism battle that you people start up on EVERY THREAD has really got to stop. We are all sick of it!

NP. Also parent to a child initially diagnosed with MERLD and later diagnosed with ADHD and LDs (dysgraphia but also likely "stealth dyslexia" never diagnosed due to high IQ compensation) as well as slow processing speed and executive dysfunction, dyspraxia and phonological disorder and a lisp and extremely (bottom 1% in social/pragmatic communication scores). DC clearly has language processing problems. Probably also still qualifies for MERLD. Despite the plethora of poor language and social communication scores, absolutely is not autistic.

The problem with poor early language is that it makes it VERY difficult to figure out what is really going on. Is it just language or is it something else or something in addition? Sometimes it takes time for the problems to clarify. Meanwhile, I would try to avoid restrictive environments unless clearly necessary.

BTW, it is illegal for a school to place you in a self-contained classroom because nothing is available in a less restrictive environment. Schools have a legal obligation to place kids in the "least restrictive environment." (called "LRE"). "Space is not available" is not a legally acceptable defense to not placing a child in an LRE. There are many lawsuits every year by parents challenging what the LRE is.

The determination that the IEP team MUST use is 1) what does the child need and 2) how can we provide that?

It is not "what do we have available".

If the team decides that what DC needs is only available in a self-contained classroom, then that is a different issue. But, you can still challenge that.

See if you can get the team on the record agreeing with you that the inclusive classroom would be appropriate, but denying you on the basis of space availability. If you can do that, you can challenge the team's decision in a number of ways (not all of which include hiring a lawyer and filing suit).

Ways to document this are -- if somebody in the process said something to you about the inclusive classroom, email back and "check-in" restate whatever they said/you said that seems to indicate that the inclusive classroom would be appropriate but that there's no space available, inquire again if anything has changed in terms of space. Or, inform the team you will be taping at the IEP meeting. Most counties allow this and it's easy to do on a smartphone or tablet.

Again, placing in the LRE is mandatory, unless the parents consent to something else, or unless the school can show that the LRE is not "appropriate" because it will not provide the "special instruction" necessary to advance the child's skill level.

[Anonymous]

When kids start testing low average, they lose the MERLD diagnosis even though there are areas where its clear the MERLD is still there. OP, kids can look very different at 3-4 to 8-9-10+. Mine did so be very careful about getting placed in a class that is going to track him for the rest of his life. My child was severe at that age but now does fine no IEP, good grades (could use an IEP but school will not provide any supports so we gave up), very good test scores and struggles a bit but overall has learned to compensate. Its not all gloom and doom for all kids. Not all kids also have other SN. It really varies but we found the schools treat all kids - language, ASD, LD and ADHD the same and don not distinguish as well as they should.

[Anonymous]

Get an educational advocate. Sometimes the county will think about their “numbers” and not necessarily your child n

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get an educational advocate. Sometimes the county will think about their “numbers” and not necessarily your child n

You may want to consider this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get an educational advocate. Sometimes the county will think about their “numbers” and not necessarily your child n

I also agree an advocate do make a difference. I was treated much differently when I had an advocate and a lot more options opened up.

[Anonymous]

Hey all, thanks! I called the county special ed coordinator and left a message-I will start the convo with her and let her know what was told to me at the eligibility meeting and insist that the inclusive option be offered to us at our iep meeting. Depending on how that goes, I will get a advocate. We are meeting tomorrow. I feel much more armed with good info now- thank you! I’ll report back.

[Anonymous]

See a developmental pediatrician if you haven’t already, op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just posted about my 8 year old who once was diagnosed with MERLD and now is diagnosed with ADHD and a LD. My child does also have dyspraxia, incidentally.

The constant language versus autism battle that you people start up on EVERY THREAD has really got to stop. We are all sick of it!

NP. Also parent to a child initially diagnosed with MERLD and later diagnosed with ADHD and LDs (dysgraphia but also likely "stealth dyslexia" never diagnosed due to high IQ compensation) as well as slow processing speed and executive dysfunction, dyspraxia and phonological disorder and a lisp and extremely (bottom 1% in social/pragmatic communication scores). DC clearly has language processing problems. Probably also still qualifies for MERLD. Despite the plethora of poor language and social communication scores, absolutely is not autistic.

The problem with poor early language is that it makes it VERY difficult to figure out what is really going on. Is it just language or is it something else or something in addition? Sometimes it takes time for the problems to clarify. Meanwhile, I would try to avoid restrictive environments unless clearly necessary.

BTW, it is illegal for a school to place you in a self-contained classroom because nothing is available in a less restrictive environment. Schools have a legal obligation to place kids in the "least restrictive environment." (called "LRE"). "Space is not available" is not a legally acceptable defense to not placing a child in an LRE. There are many lawsuits every year by parents challenging what the LRE is.

The determination that the IEP team MUST use is 1) what does the child need and 2) how can we provide that?

It is not "what do we have available".

If the team decides that what DC needs is only available in a self-contained classroom, then that is a different issue. But, you can still challenge that.

See if you can get the team on the record agreeing with you that the inclusive classroom would be appropriate, but denying you on the basis of space availability. If you can do that, you can challenge the team's decision in a number of ways (not all of which include hiring a lawyer and filing suit).

Ways to document this are -- if somebody in the process said something to you about the inclusive classroom, email back and "check-in" restate whatever they said/you said that seems to indicate that the inclusive classroom would be appropriate but that there's no space available, inquire again if anything has changed in terms of space. Or, inform the team you will be taping at the IEP meeting. Most counties allow this and it's easy to do on a smartphone or tablet.

Again, placing in the LRE is mandatory, unless the parents consent to something else, or unless the school can show that the LRE is not "appropriate" because it will not provide the "special instruction" necessary to advance the child's skill level.

Just curious how autism was ruled out, when your child had language delays "bottom 1%" social/pragmatic communication & dyspraxia? Was it just the lack of repetitive behaviors, and where did you go for the autism assessment?