MCPS PEP -- does anything exist to supplement PEP Pilot?

[Anonymous]

Our daugher is in PEP Pilot 2x per week in the afternoons. We have explored PEP Classic and PEP Collaboration and both are not appropriate placements for various reasons that we agree with 100%. But, we do not believe PEP Pilot alone is enough. Private consults have all said she needs speech therapy twice per week in her preschool she attends in the morning in addition to other supplements to PEP Pilot for her to function successfully in her typical preschool and progress sufficiently to get to kindergarten.

in addition to the obvious, that we can pay a private speech therapist to come into the school, and otherwise fund private services to supplement her county services -- has anyone had experience in requesting additional services from PEP for a child for whom Pilot is appropriate (a small classroom with typically developing children). In other words, is there such a thing as intinerant services in addition to Pilot, or Pilot more than 2x a week, etc?

We want to give our daughter what she needs, but my husband lost his job in the recession and we need to educate ourselves on what is available through the county given that our daughter is qualified for services before we pay out of pocket for all of these things that we believe would help her.

[Anonymous]

I'm a little confused by the "progress sufficiently to get to kindergarten" construct. My child is nonverbal and is in a county kindergarten in MoCo. Your child is entitled to go to kindergarten no matter what her deficits or issues are. There are programs for children with speech issues and there are pullout services for children with speech issues.

If you want extra services, explore them, but speech is not a prerequisite to go to kindergarten. Nor is it a prerequisite for academic success or social success in preschool.

As for recommendations, do you have an IPad? I recommend many of the apps that are available for speech. Many are free. The Washington Post did a pullout in its Thursday Family section last week about communication apps.

[Anonymous]

Didn't you already post about your situation here?
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/230603.page#2353538

It's too late now but maybe you should have stayed with IT and paid for private preschool.

[Anonymous]

To clarify - I did not mean to say that her current services will not "get her to kindergarten." I know that she will go to kindergarten, and that there are services once there to assist her. What I meant was that I don't believe the 2 day Pilot program is sufficient to meet her needs in her pre-K year to ensure she is prepared to enter our local public school.

And yes, I did post about my situation earlier but my question is slightly different given new information I received from a specialist between that post and this post. I am specifically wondering if there are any additional options through the county that I don't know about.

Forgive my ignorance, we are very very new to this process (my daughter was just assessed a few months ago) and I'm finding it very overwhelming! This forum seems to have a breadth of experience.

[Anonymous]

Why not call for an IEP meeting? All your questions about placement and available services can be addressed then and there.

[Anonymous]

If she needs two times a week speech therapy, why isn't pep collaborative an appropriate placement, since two pullouts a week for speech is too much for pep pilot.

[Anonymous]

I'm also unclear why PEP Collaborative isn't considered a good fit. It sounds like it would fit your needs - high functioning children but plenty of time for support services, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To clarify - I did not mean to say that her current services will not "get her to kindergarten." I know that she will go to kindergarten, and that there are services once there to assist her. What I meant was that I don't believe the 2 day Pilot program is sufficient to meet her needs in her pre-K year to ensure she is prepared to enter our local public school.

And yes, I did post about my situation earlier but my question is slightly different given new information I received from a specialist between that post and this post. I am specifically wondering if there are any additional options through the county that I don't know about.

Forgive my ignorance, we are very very new to this process (my daughter was just assessed a few months ago) and I'm finding it very overwhelming! This forum seems to have a breadth of experience.

Your daughter can receive speech services at your local public school. She has the right to attend your local public school regardless of her speech issues. Maybe this is a matter of semantics, but children don't need to be prepared to enter Kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

we have an IEP meeting scheduled and will discuss all of this. PEP Collaborative isn't considered a good fit (according to her team and a private consult from Ivymount) because of the large class size and because the typically developing children primarily are children for whom English is a second language. Because our daughter tends to do better in a small group setting and her biggest "speech" issue is the ability to have back and forth conversation with other children - I think we agree with that recommendation. Pilot is a smaller group with less transitions, and the typically developing children are not ESOL.

[Anonymous]

Have you looked into PEP INC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:we have an IEP meeting scheduled and will discuss all of this. PEP Collaborative isn't considered a good fit (according to her team and a private consult from Ivymount) because of the large class size and because the typically developing children primarily are children for whom English is a second language. Because our daughter tends to do better in a small group setting and her biggest "speech" issue is the ability to have back and forth conversation with other children - I think we agree with that recommendation. Pilot is a smaller group with less transitions, and the typically developing children are not ESOL.

This is ridiculous, and racist too.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, I'm just speechless over this. You won't even try PEP Collaborative over the risk that there might be too many ESOL kids and it might be too large? Because someone at Ivymount said so? And you want the county to find some other magical solution

Really, I'm speechless. I just have no words. No irony intended. I just can't imagine what you are looking for for your child. Sheer perfection and bliss?

[Anonymous]

OP, you have to understand that public schools only have to provide FAPE - this does not mean it has to provide what is considered the "best" education for your child.

It sounds like your child has ASD. You can sue the school system for a private placement - It's doubtful you'll get it since you are in Mo Co. Otherwise you'll have to do like the rest of us: Keep your child in PEP Pilot and provide additional therapies privately out-of-pocket or put your child in PEP Collaborative with all it's shortcomings.

[Anonymous]

meant "shortcomings" - b/c I too think OP is being ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

WOW!!! OP here. I certainly did not mean to offend, and I observed PEP collaboration and thought it looked like an incredible program. I also feel fortunate that my child was found eligible for county services. I'm surprised by the responses I've gotten. I am just trying to find the right solution for my child, and was told by a few people (her IEP team included) that PEP collaboration was not appropriate because of her language issues. The PEP Collaboration parent coordinator told me that I shoudl keep in mind that many of the children speak spanish. How that is racist because my child has language issues, I really don't understand.

I guess I won't be posting on this board anymore, because I was actually looking for support at a time it is most needed - not criticism and accusations from other parents with special needs kids. I just found this board and thought there'd be a wealth of resources. I'll stick with the experts and my friends.