MCPS - Released from special Ed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The services you mentioned that you think your child needs are all actually accommodations that can be provided under a 504 plan.

Can a 504 plan be instated without any SLD or other diagnosis.

No, there needs to be diagnosis. But what was your child's disability category for the IEP? It's a pretty big jump from saying your child has an educational disability that impedes access to general eduction to no diagnosis at all.

To answer your other question - no, processing speed scores in the high 80s do not indicate a disability, especially since your child's scores mostly sit within the high 80s and low 90s. I believe a score of an 86 on the WISC in considered low average which is exactly what it sounds like - on the lower side of average.

The disability category they put on the IEP was SLD. DC was struggling in Math.

Now after the evaluation they said there is no disability, and that it's just her IQ is average and because there is no disability they cannot give her a 504 without a disability code?

what was the math testing MCPS did in the recent assessment and what were the scores?

[Anonymous]

OP, what school system are you in? MCPS is mentioned upthread but not clear to me that that was you. Can you clarify?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The services you mentioned that you think your child needs are all actually accommodations that can be provided under a 504 plan.

Can a 504 plan be instated without any SLD or other diagnosis.

No, there needs to be diagnosis. But what was your child's disability category for the IEP? It's a pretty big jump from saying your child has an educational disability that impedes access to general eduction to no diagnosis at all.

To answer your other question - no, processing speed scores in the high 80s do not indicate a disability, especially since your child's scores mostly sit within the high 80s and low 90s. I believe a score of an 86 on the WISC in considered low average which is exactly what it sounds like - on the lower side of average.

The disability category they put on the IEP was SLD. DC was struggling in Math.

Now after the evaluation they said there is no disability, and that it's just her IQ is average and because there is no disability they cannot give her a 504 without a disability code?

what was the math testing MCPS did in the recent assessment and what were the scores?

It says WJ-IV testing and then there is a subset called Broad Math. Her scores are in the 90's.

For reading she was 85 in Sentence reading fluency. It says Low average. This is pretty much what I have been saying to them all these years regarding Math questions. She doesn't understand when she reads something once and it has to be explained or she has to read it many times to get it. I feel she processes things slowly. She has difficulty with multi step questions in Math and skips many of them but they said she met the benchmark. She had a Map-M of 211 in fall. 217 now.

Her IQ testing report says processing speed and fluid reasoning is Low Average.

[Anonymous]

Definitely pursue private testing if you think your child has a disability, but given the information you've shared it seems that your child's academics are in the low average range with no disabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely pursue private testing if you think your child has a disability, but given the information you've shared it seems that your child's academics are in the low average range with no disabilities.

Given her history with the school system, if I ask for an IEE, would they give it? We have that 2 year report from Childrens that said she has autism, which we never pursued because we didn't want her stigmatized. I'm wondering if we should just submit that report and ask for the Autism testing, which I guess is the comprehensive neuropsych eval? They may believe she doesn't have it but I have a report from Children's and since that is so outdated it would make sense for them to test. They agree that she takes a long time but attribute it to IQ and I'm not sure if that can be done without a formal evaluation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely pursue private testing if you think your child has a disability, but given the information you've shared it seems that your child's academics are in the low average range with no disabilities.

Given her history with the school system, if I ask for an IEE, would they give it? We have that 2 year report from Childrens that said she has autism, which we never pursued because we didn't want her stigmatized. I'm wondering if we should just submit that report and ask for the Autism testing, which I guess is the comprehensive neuropsych eval? They may believe she doesn't have it but I have a report from Children's and since that is so outdated it would make sense for them to test. They agree that she takes a long time but attribute it to IQ and I'm not sure if that can be done without a formal evaluation.

Getting your child the correct supports should be your priority over worrying whether a possible diagnosis would lead to stigma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PP. IQ testing was never done before so this is the first one.

I did ask them to do an ADHD testing and dyscalculia testing and they said the testing for the latter would be the same as what they did.

Their report does not mention ADHD at all or that I asked for it. At the previous meeting they said they will do it if they think it is necessary because they felt it was not needed, and I agreed to that.

Would it be a problem if I ask them now about IEE? I'm not sure what that means and will Google it. My spouse thinks DC has no issues so he will not pay for any kind of external testing unless she fails miserably.

Does he hold all the credit cards and checkbooks? Do you not have access to any of the money? I'm assuming by the way you frame this that you are a SAHM, and he is the one who works and has an income. Even if that is the case, he doesn't control all the decisions about money in your family. The law views all income earned by either partner as marital property to which each individual is entitled to 50%.

Do you think he would be abusive if you spent this money anyway?

If you spent it or borrowed it, could you earn it back by getting a part time job or babysitting or tutoring? If your answer is no because there is no one to watch DS, your husband can't really both demand you watch DC 24/7 and demand that you provide your own money for things.

Also, FWIW, ADHD and Autism are medical diagnoses (as opposed to educational issues) that are covered by your health insurance. Although some pediatricians who are highly experienced in autism can make the diagnosis if the presentation is clear, a psychologist or neuropsychologist does the most comprehensive evaluation. You will get paid the most if you use an in network psychologist or neuropsychologist - go to your healthcare portal and look up psychologists who do assessments. You might have to get on a waiting list. You can call and ask - how much do you charge? how would you handle evaluating the testing already done by the school, i.e. are there certain tests they missed or that you can't do again within a certain period?

You can ask if you can just do an intake - how much would that cost? And you can ask for a list of codes and estimated hours for charges so that you can get a pre-authorization for the diagnostic.

You can also ask for an IEE and that may give you more $$ and/or more leeway to use out of network providers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely pursue private testing if you think your child has a disability, but given the information you've shared it seems that your child's academics are in the low average range with no disabilities.

Given her history with the school system, if I ask for an IEE, would they give it? We have that 2 year report from Childrens that said she has autism, which we never pursued because we didn't want her stigmatized. I'm wondering if we should just submit that report and ask for the Autism testing, which I guess is the comprehensive neuropsych eval? They may believe she doesn't have it but I have a report from Children's and since that is so outdated it would make sense for them to test. They agree that she takes a long time but attribute it to IQ and I'm not sure if that can be done without a formal evaluation.

I could answer this question but I would need to know the school district you are in.

[Anonymous]

To the PP. Mcps

[Anonymous]

Accomodations can be helpful for all students, but the school is only required to provide them if there is a documented need, which you don't currently have. Of she starts doing poorly in school with her supports removed you then have a case again.

[Anonymous]

Wrightslaw is a good source of information about IEEs.
See more here: https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/test.iee.steedman.htm

"When the student’s parents disagree with the school district’s evaluation and request an IEE at public expense, the school district must pay for the IEE or request a due process hearing. 34 C.F.R §300.502(b)(2). In other words, the school district cannot simply refuse or ignore the parents' request for an independent evaluation. If the school district decides to request a due process hearing, it must do so “without unnecessary delay.” 34 C.F.R §300.502(b)(2). Failure to request a due process hearing in a timely manner, may result in a waiver by the school district to challenge the parents’ request for an IEE. See Pajaro Valley Unified School District v. J.S., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 90840 (N.D. Cal. 2006).

If the school district requests a due process hearing, it has the burden of proof and must prove to a hearing officer that the school evaluation was sufficient. Even if the school district does not conduct an evaluation, the student’s parents may be entitled to an IEE at public expense if the school district refused to conduct evaluations. Haddon Township Sch. Dist. v. New Jersey Dept. of Edu., 67 IDELR 44 (N.J.S.C. 2006). "

The bottom line is that a parent can request one and the school must provide it unless the school requests a "due process hearing" to show that the evaluation was sufficient. I haven't reviewed the case law recently, but AFAIR, the parent merely had to disagree with the result, not prove that there was something wrong or missing.

OP, you have several points of disagreement -- you disagree with the IQ evaluation because it does not comport with what you see at home and because you think that it may be skewed by a lack of appropriate identification and instruction over the years (Matthew effect). You also disagree because no evaluation was done for ADHD or ASD. The team is obligated by IDEA to evaluate in all areas, and they have not. Even if the team could justify in a due process hearing that their evaluation is sufficient, they didn't evaluate at all for ASD and ADHD so you should be entitled to IEE in those areas.

See more here: https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/test.index.htm
and here https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/tests.evals.crabtree.htm

TBH, if you write a letter saying you disagree with the assessment and are officially requisition an IEE, and the school requests a due process hearing, you may need a lawyer to help you through that.

Or you can try to contact a Parents Place of Maryland and get some free advice about navigating the process.

MCPS website has info about your parental rights here, but contains no specific information about how to ask for an IEE. It is probably enough to write to the person who is chairing your IEP meeting to say that you are requesting an IEE and can she please get back to you with information about process/approval.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/special-education/common-questions/parental-rights/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You mention that y out are looking for extra time. Just a warning. Extra time on tests is one thing. Extra time for assignments often results in disaster because everything still has a drop dead due date and instead of keeping up, extra time often results in everything being due at the end and a crisis for the kid.

This exactly. My 11th grader this marking period.

[Anonymous]

^ one thing I forgot to add, you will want them to refer you to any specific written regulations that exist about the qualifications necessary to evaluate various kinds of disabilities.