What to expect at FCPS Local Screening meeting for 1st grade HFA?

[Anonymous]

I initiated local screening for my 7 year old HFA. He had a private assessment by a developmental pediatrician prior to K. He struggled with social skills in K, but I was blown off by principal, counselor, teacher, and spec ed last year. This year I contacted the new school counselor to ask her to include him in social groups. I've also had 2 teacher initiated conferences where his teacher expressed concerns over his social issues, flapping, quietness, etc. and so I decided to complete a multipurpose referral myself since the school kept trying to push off any recommendations for assessments, just trying to figure out various teacher interventions, with "He's so young. Let's wait and see."

So now this meeting that I initiated is tomorrow, and I'm wondering if I need to brace myself for another, "He's still so young... Let's wait and see..." Is there anything I need to know going into this meeting? Any resources I should check out? Any arguments I should be prepared to make?

[Anonymous]

I was denied by the local screening committee at beginning of first grade. What did the private screening say? Given the test is now 3 years old, my guess is that the value of that is not as highand you might want to redo the testing now. Also guessing that the testing may have been inconclusive, else you would have already had IEP for K, or other services prior to school starting.

When I was denied, I went to his pediatrician for check up (school said it might be other health issues), and paid for a private OT assessment that showed pretty obvious needs. I also got on the wait list for a full neuropsych eval which ended up happening at the same time as the school eval. I was denied in fall and then in three months, I filed another request and this time armed with all the documentation, they agreed to do the testing. Both the school and private eval both said HFA. All in all it took alot of time but finally had the IEP in time for 2nd grade.

Given the meeting is tomorrow, see what happens and plan your strategy based on it. Be sure to tell them that you disagree with the decision if it goes that way and that you plan to resubmit with more documentation soon. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

You need to be clear about how your child is struggling. How is he unable to access the general ed curriculum? How are his "social issues" impacting his behavior and relationships in the classroom?

[Anonymous]

I suggest you call these people ASAP and request ADOS testing for ASD:

http://www.childrensnational.org/DepartmentsAndPrograms/default.aspx?type=Program&SubType=ContactInformation&Id=6092&Name=Center%20for%20Autism%20Spectrum%20Disorders%20%28CASD%29

If it turns out that your child is on the spectrum then your school will grant your child an IEP.

I have a child with ASD/Asperger's who was diagnosed at 4 and has an IEP. 7 is not too young to get a diagnosis and waiting around just wastes time without your child getting help.

GL!

[Anonymous]

When you say you were previously denied, when does that happen? After initial local screening meeting? After evaluations? He was evaluated by ChildFind when he was 2.5 and they found delays in all 5 of their screening areas. He had zero language at that time and still couldn't roll back to tummy. They sent us a "Parent-Infant Educator" for 1 hour/week. I was not pleased with her, and was enrolling him in preschool anyway, so I told them I didn't want to continue services.

Preschool was kind of iffy. Cognitively, he was fine. Socially, he was a mess. Got the evaluation at age 5 summer before K with a vague diagnosis of PDD-NOS. I contacted principal spec ed immediately, and they told me to call back in August. I did that, as well as contacting counselor and then was blown off the entire school year. I even contacted SLP because he'd had a significant language delay and his speech was still inarticulate. She blew me off. K teacher insisted he interacted with others just fine, blah, blah, blah.

This year, I contacted counselor in August when I learned they had a new one, and told her my spiel and asked her to include him in any social groups. She must have told principal because he called me at work to kind of smooth things over, I guess? (Can you imagine the freaking out that happens when the caller ID shows it's the school and it's the principal on the other line). He acted all surprised that I'd had a prior assessment and can I please send a copy to the school. Fine.

The fall parent-teacher conferences came, and the teachers included the same SLP in the meeting and were all concerned that he doesn't talk to anyone, participate in class, interact with peers, is by himself on the playground, and flaps, etc. I filled them in. SLP suddenly remembers speaking to me last year. SLP decided to evaluate DS for speech.

We met a month later with teachers, SLP, and counselor to discuss further concerns and speech related issues. I asked if we were going to discuss referral to local screening, and they all kind of dismissed it and said, "He's so young..." Counselor spoke with me after and told me I could initiate if I wanted to. After internet research and speaking with various Spec Ed teachers who showed me what services for an HFA/Asperger type might look like, it sounded like exactly what he needs, so I initiated. I feel like the earlier we can intervene with building social skills, the better it will be.

I don't know how I can "prove" that he can't access the curriculum, because I'm not sure how much group work there might be in 1st grade. But he can't and likely will not be able to collaborate with others. He does not participate in many things because of his social anxiety. He has sloppy handwriting, scribbles instead of colors, and kind of slacks on anything that does not interest him (which is everything except his perseveration). His lowest grades are in PE. I suspect it might have to do with his low muscle tone and inability to interact with the other kids. Or maybe he's being a lazy brat. I don't know. He has encopresis and I was called to school 3 times to change him last year. This year, it's been ok. He has meltdowns at home, but never at school. I can't imagine what that will look like. When he feels threatened his defense looks like aggression. I need the school to be aware of this and understand that this is a neurological and developmental disability. PE needs to understand this and not penalize him for his inability to touch his toes.

Do they want to see him fail before they will evaluate? I'm advocating to just have him EVALUATED at this point, right?

[Anonymous]

At the local screening committee meeting the committee will decide if there is enough to suggest doing an evaluation to see if your child is eligible for IEP. You will go around and share your take on why he needs to be evaluated. The classroom teacher will share their observations, and others who work with him like the Speech teacher and OT (if they are familiar with your child) By the end of the meeting there will be a decision on whether or not to proceed with testing. If the answer is yes, they have a certain number of days to complete the testing. During testing you will be interviewed, and also your child will be tested and observed. Then there will be a meeting to discuss testing results. Finally you will have your first IEP meeting.

Hope it all works out. Just have your talking points ready, stay focused and try to keep your goal in mind. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Yes, the key at the LSC meeting tomorrow is to remember that the team is only determining whether to evaluate NOT determine eligibility for an IEP/services. In my experience, they try to mix the two to confuse the discussion. Stay focused on whether he should be evaluated. And, in FCPS, the school can't require you to get a medical diagnosis of autism to be evaluated or receive services under the autism category.

[Anonymous]

Since he was previously evaluated by Child Find, does that change any priorities?

[Anonymous]

Let us know how it went OP.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Not good. He does not need "academic support," so no evaluation is recommended.

No one denied that he was on the spectrum or needing help developing social skills, but that I should research community resources.

[Anonymous]

That is so wrong. My HFA son's goals are 90% social stuff. Stuff like managing frustration, working in groups, learning to self-advocate. He also gets social skills group, OT. The only academic is writing. I would probably reply in writing expressing your disagreement with the decision. I am the OP who got denied first time. Hang in there and get some solid evidence in the next three months and go back before summer. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is so wrong. My HFA son's goals are 90% social stuff. Stuff like managing frustration, working in groups, learning to self-advocate. He also gets social skills group, OT. The only academic is writing. I would probably reply in writing expressing your disagreement with the decision. I am the OP who got denied first time. Hang in there and get some solid evidence in the next three months and go back before summer. Good luck!

+1. My ASD/Asperger's IEP goals are 100% social/communication stuff. He does not need academic support and is above grade level academically across the board but he still has an IEP: He gets social skills group and OT. He is in a mainstream inclusive classroom where there are 19 kids and a head teacher and a sp ed teacher in first grade at a language immersion school.

I'm the poster who recommended Children's. From what you describe, while I would still go ahead with a private evaluation, I would also retain a lawyer to help you from now on.

The people who turned you down while acceding that your child is on the spectrum are a bunch of turds.

[Anonymous]

My 7 yr. old son with suspected HFA was found eligible under the autism category. His goals are 50/50 social/communication and writing although we were denied OT services, which I am considering appealing. I hired an educational consultant.

[Anonymous]

22:39. How did you get OT? What basis? What evidence?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22:39. How did you get OT? What basis? What evidence?

Our school evaluates OT, PT and speech separately regardless of diagnosis. If a child has a certain % delay they will get services. In preK, DS qualified for all three but now no longer gets PT just OT and speech/social skills group.