Denied evaluation for autism spectrum child at FCPS. Now what?

[Anonymous]

I started a previous thread asking what to expect during the meeting. We had it, and they told me right there at the end that he did not need academic support, recommended I contact insurance for ABA therapy (they brought that up, not me) and suggested I utilize community resources for social skills development. They were loaded with all kinds of other tips, such as start a reward chart and show him some social stories videos.

I signed at the end whatever it was they wanted me to sign. Should I do anything now? Someone in the previous thread recommended I contact Children's National for evaluation. What do I do with that once it's done? I think my goal is to get a para to support his classroom? Is there anything else? I don't know what I want or should be asking for, only that my son needs help.

Previous thread:
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/0/369142.page#4832627

[Anonymous]

call the appeals office (number is at bottom of paper you signed).

[Anonymous]

I'm confused. I read the other thread and As I understand it, you have a child with a diagnosis of autism. Why can't you present the diagnosis, get an IEP and ask for goals, services and accommodations for his social needs? What am I missing here?

[Anonymous]

Is your child doing okay in school without accommodations? What are his report cards like?

[Anonymous]

OP--contact the Procedural Support Liaison assigned to your child's school. You can get the name of this person by contacting the office or by asking the special education lead teacher at your child's school.

Here is information about what the PSL does. I would call this person tomorrow.

http://www.fcps.edu/dss/seps/

[Anonymous]

Unbelievable. I agree to call the Liaison and consider getting outside help. And, don't give up. You're doing what is best for your son.

[Anonymous]

In FCPS, the person you should go to is the Enforcement Officer. There is no reason why an autistic child can't have an IEP. I'm the one who brought in our psychiatrist and tutor so the panel could hear more about DC's diagnosis, difficulties and needed accommodations - we got one - but there was an uninvited Langley person who seems to think her mission in life is to make sure kids don't get 504s or IEPs - definitely not in the spirit of the IDEA or ADA.

[Anonymous]

OP here. His report cards are "fine." At the elementary level, they do a 1 - 4 scale, so he has mostly 3s & 4s (the highest), with a few 2s thrown in here and there. On grade level for everything, a decent NNAT score, so not on anyone's radar for academic intervention. I am so, so grateful that academics are not a concern (yet). This is only first grade, though. I do see signs of attention and focus issues when he's doing his homework and has trouble sitting for ten minutes and write a few sentences about George Washington, or when he brings home papers that are illegible or scribbled, and I know he wasn't able to focus. Maybe that's typical of most first graders?

So, yes, I get that he doesn't need academic interventions, but as I understand it, the school can provide ABA, social skills training, maybe some OT if his core muscles continue to be a problem. The kids with physical disabilities receive OT through the school, though this isn't academic. My insurance will only provide ABA for kids aged 2 - 6, so private isn't an option unless we pay out of pocket. I have a special ed teacher friend who encouraged me to initiate the process by explaining how a paraeducator would provide social support in the classroom and it sounded like a godsend. I feel it would help him tremendously, as school is 60% of his day. I'm still not certain what support I should be asking for or expecting, so it's difficult to find my voice to advocate for it.

I will call Children's today, talk to my spec ed friend, and continue to read all that I can. Thank you so much, everyone, for your help and advice.

[Anonymous]

If his grades are fine and he is not disruptive in the classroom, he may be eligible for an IEP. To be eligible for an IEP, a child must have a disability and must need additional assistance. The school has determined that your child doesn't need assistance. You don't agree. You can appeal. Ask the school what the appeal process is.

I sort of agree with the school. To me, what you are describing is very mild and doesn't reach the level of needing a classroom paraprofessional. That doesn't mean he won't need an IEP in the future, but that he is doing fine now. I'd let it go. Let your kid be as normal as possible for as long as possible. His grades are fine. The more he is able to function without support, the more you should encourage that to happen. With luck and God's grace, my kids with disabilities will grow up to go to college and to employment where they will need to function competitively against kids without disabilities. The more they can do on their own, the better off they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. His report cards are "fine." At the elementary level, they do a 1 - 4 scale, so he has mostly 3s & 4s (the highest), with a few 2s thrown in here and there. On grade level for everything, a decent NNAT score, so not on anyone's radar for academic intervention. I am so, so grateful that academics are not a concern (yet). This is only first grade, though. I do see signs of attention and focus issues when he's doing his homework and has trouble sitting for ten minutes and write a few sentences about George Washington, or when he brings home papers that are illegible or scribbled, and I know he wasn't able to focus. Maybe that's typical of most first graders?

So, yes, I get that he doesn't need academic interventions, but as I understand it, the school can provide ABA, social skills training, maybe some OT if his core muscles continue to be a problem. The kids with physical disabilities receive OT through the school, though this isn't academic. My insurance will only provide ABA for kids aged 2 - 6, so private isn't an option unless we pay out of pocket. I have a special ed teacher friend who encouraged me to initiate the process by explaining how a paraeducator would provide social support in the classroom and it sounded like a godsend. I feel it would help him tremendously, as school is 60% of his day. I'm still not certain what support I should be asking for or expecting, so it's difficult to find my voice to advocate for it.

I will call Children's today, talk to my spec ed friend, and continue to read all that I can. Thank you so much, everyone, for your help and advice.

I did a great deal with no insurance and no school support for my kid with HFA.

You can see a therapist and design a parent-led ABA program for home.
http://autismdad.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/should-parents-provide-aba-therapy/

Social skills can be taught at home, though materials bought from companies like Linguisystems or available through the public library.
http://www.linguisystems.com/products/product/search?topic=16


Social skills camps are held in the summer and aren't expensive. Some therapists have support groups for kids with these problems that aren't expensive and which teach social skills.
http://dcautismparents.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/DCAP_Summer_Camp_Guide_2012.40145102.pdf

My kid with HFA also has gained tons of social skills from participating in drama and theater arts classes.
Theater Lab has drama classes and camps for kids. I'm sure there are others around.
http://www.theatrelab.org/?q=content/youth-programs

Core muscle strength can be improved through swim lessons, swim team, martial arts classes, and dance. (I know one mom whose daughter with HFA has done very well on swim team.) Extracurriculars also improve social skills.

Focus and concentration can be improved by enrolling kids in music lessons or martial arts classes or chess lessons or other activities that require concentration.

[Anonymous]

If he's doing fine in school, they are not obligated to do any testing. You can do it, and use any results you get to support your claim that your kid needs special services.

[Anonymous]

FCPS special education services stink. They provide a lot of resources at the preschool level, but then think the kids will be magically cured by the time they enter kindergarten. Early intervention helps, sure, but it doesn't make things like autism go away.

In my experience, the level and quality of services FCPS provides really deteriorates around second grade. If you don't have a strong IEP and services in place by that time, forget it. And even if you do, FCPS will try hard to take the supports away. God help you if you have a 2E student.

Parents need to be outraged and demand what their kids are entitled to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. His report cards are "fine." At the elementary level, they do a 1 - 4 scale, so he has mostly 3s & 4s (the highest), with a few 2s thrown in here and there. On grade level for everything, a decent NNAT score, so not on anyone's radar for academic intervention. I am so, so grateful that academics are not a concern (yet). This is only first grade, though. I do see signs of attention and focus issues when he's doing his homework and has trouble sitting for ten minutes and write a few sentences about George Washington, or when he brings home papers that are illegible or scribbled, and I know he wasn't able to focus. Maybe that's typical of most first graders?

So, yes, I get that he doesn't need academic interventions, but as I understand it, the school can provide ABA, social skills training, maybe some OT if his core muscles continue to be a problem. The kids with physical disabilities receive OT through the school, though this isn't academic. My insurance will only provide ABA for kids aged 2 - 6, so private isn't an option unless we pay out of pocket. I have a special ed teacher friend who encouraged me to initiate the process by explaining how a paraeducator would provide social support in the classroom and it sounded like a godsend. I feel it would help him tremendously, as school is 60% of his day. I'm still not certain what support I should be asking for or expecting, so it's difficult to find my voice to advocate for it.

I will call Children's today, talk to my spec ed friend, and continue to read all that I can. Thank you so much, everyone, for your help and advice.

I agree with everyone else here - APPEAL. 7 is not "too young" as I've had my kids tested at 18-months-old and got a diagnosis of ASD back then. My one son also gets 3's and 4's and a smattering of 2's, and had an extremely high NNAT score. We have to pay out of pocket for ABA therapy for him, unfortunately, but it's been worth it. Getting an IEP means you're going to get extra resources that your child needs to keep being successful in the classroom. The OT can also work on handwriting skills if they continue to be a problem. An IEP will also allow for modified PE instructions to work on skills your child hasn't developed yet. They have ABA at school, but it's nowhere near as intense as private therapy.

With the focus problem, I have one son that has mild ASD but also noticeably ADHD symptoms (lack of attention/focus, paced while talking, couldn't stay on topic, couldn't stay in his seat, frequently daydreamed, wound wander around not knowing what he was doing, etc.) that were confirmed by a private child psychologist after some testing. For him, medication has been an absolute miracle, but we still have an IEP in place for him to deal with his social aspects that he sometimes still lacks.

[Anonymous]

Get an attorney and appeal, seek an eligibility for services review, whatever the process is in FCPS.

We are in MCPS and were originally told in K-1 that our child must fall 2 grade level behind before they would consider him for a 504 or IEP. Funny, the law does not make that distinction. So there he sat, sent to the office, 4 days a week. Years have passed, but what a nightmare. It got worse before it got better, but without professional help, we would not have gotten there.

[Anonymous]

OP,

If they don't believe he needs supports in the classroom, what was their rational for suggesting ABA therapy to you?

Have they actually evaluated him? If some papers are illegible, it might be due to him being tired by the end of the day vs. lack of focus. Same for not wanting to sit in a chair for extended periods. I'm not sure if he's low tone, but this can be difficult for some low tone kids. At the very least, I would think that a school OT should evaluate him.

Also, do they have a social skills group at the school? If so ask if he can participate.