Did you use an advocate for your IEP and, if so, how did you choose one?

[Anonymous]

There seem to be a lot of recommendations floating around and would love to hear how you chose one over the other with specific information about particular practices if you feel comfortable. Do you feel it was worth the money? Do you feel that your child's needs were adequately met by the resulting IEP?

[Anonymous]

We didn't initially use a consultant/advocate because of the reputation of FCPS. We naively thought they'd ensure DS would get what he needed. We all know how that story goes. I reached out to our developmental pediatrician, regular pediatrician, ST/OT. They each recommended a couple of consultants/advoates. There was one consultant/advocate that was common to all of them.

We've now had 7 years of IEPs for 2 kids and we always use our consultant/advocate. One kid is fairly run-of-the-mill ADHD/anxiety/LD. Some years, everything is easy. We have a great school team, appropriate IEPs and things go really smoothly. Some years, it's a series of battles. This past year, we got to brink of filing a state complaint. We never know what we're going to get so we always come prepared for the worst and hope for the best. So, the long version is that when using a consultant/advocate, I feel we've gotten the best IEP we could at the time. I'm sorry we have to use one at all but we won't attend an IEP meeting without one after our long experience with FCPS.

[Anonymous]

We used or developmental ped. At our first IEP meeting we also had my sons preschool teacher from neurotypical school and our private speech therapist. It helped all of make the best decisions based on his behavior in different environments.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP! We're new to the process but have been told by others with more experience that we have very strong grounds for filing a state complaint. The problem is that we're worried about retribution by the school team.

Does anyone have any advice about this?

[Anonymous]

We have used an advocate twice in the past 8 years. The first time it helped, however she retired and left the area. The second time we went with a highly regarded one and it was an unmitigated disaster. Never again. Both times tension climbed even higher. IME, with FCPS FAPE is the ceiling and you have to fight for the things you want. You have to be the one who suggests tings, they never ever do. You have to do the homework and figure out what needs to be done and then advocate for that and supplement more at home anf with tutors. Become the expert on your child, no one else will, even the advocate. The more complex and unusual the more this is important.

wrightslaw.com is your ally.

[Anonymous]

I don't agree. My son though has been very lucky with an exceptional case manager with Fcps who has followed him for 4 years. She has appropriately added multiple additional services each and every year and she has meticulously tracked the data needed to justify the additional services. I realize though that we have been extremely lucky to get her

[Anonymous]

I did not use an advocate and I've been happy with the results of the IEP. I found MS to be better with services and accommodations than ES. But overall, I found that with preparation and understanding of my sons deficits and needs, I was successful in getting hm what he needs to be successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't agree. My son though has been very lucky with an exceptional case manager with Fcps who has followed him for 4 years. She has appropriately added multiple additional services each and every year and she has meticulously tracked the data needed to justify the additional services. I realize though that we have been extremely lucky to get her

Since you disagree with the PPs about using an advocate, what do you think they should have done? Should they have just accepted crappy IEPs? What would you have done had you not been so blessed with an exceptional case manager for 4 years - BTW we've never had a case manager longer than 2 years.

[Anonymous]

Dial it back, 9:09. PP was just disagreeing that an advocate is always necessary. She had a different experience with her case manager. That is good news. If a parent needs an advocate, then they absolutely should hire one. Sometimes, though, the IEP team works well together and designs the best plan for all. It's good to hear those experiences and you were not fair to the PP you responded to.

[Anonymous]

It's been almost a year since my four year old DS was diagnosed with autism. We trusted that FCPS was looking out for the best interests of our child since we are new to autism and really had no clue about what he needed. He has so many issues we didn't know where to start. I had tried buying the Wrights Law books and it helped me learn more about special ed law. But I had no idea what to ask from the school, I figured they would know better since they work with kids on a daily basis and have a better idea of what my kid needs. From the IEP that was developed my DS wasn't progressing and he wasn't happy. Every day was a struggle to get him out the door, the mere sight of his backpack sent him running upstairs to hide in his room. When I dropped him off he'd scream at the sight of his teacher. I'm sure they did their best with him but he was in the wrong place. I inquired about the PAC program, they said PAC would not be the right environment and I trusted them on that. So we started private therapy for ABA and within three months my DS made rapid progress. I know ABA doesn't work for everyone but the changes I saw in my DS were amazing. So I asked the school again about PAC especially since I knew that program had an ABA focus. It felt like I was asking for the world. Once again they said no and the non-cat program was appropriate for him.
I addressed my concerns to our ABA therapist she told me about and advocate in our area. So I contacted her and ended up hiring her. She took a look at the IEP and was dismayed, she said his goals were set so low and they didn't address his needs. In talking with her I gained a better understanding of what his goals should be. She came to observe him in therapy and at school. She collaborated with his therapists and developed an IEP that was detailed and address his needs appropriately. There was no way I would've come up with that on my own. Surprisingly when we had a school meeting to discuss the proposed new IEP, no one contested it. It took a few meetings to work through all the details, but in the end he was finally placed in PAC. While I'm angry that I had to fight tooth and nail to get him in there, he is doing much better. He is happy and looks forward to school. He is thriving.

Our advocate says we also have grounds for filing state complaint and asking for compensatory education since we paid for therapy privately in place of PAC. I'm not sure if we're going to go down this route, it was already a battle to get him into PAC let alone fight them again for compensation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dial it back, 9:09. PP was just disagreeing that an advocate is always necessary. She had a different experience with her case manager. That is good news. If a parent needs an advocate, then they absolutely should hire one. Sometimes, though, the IEP team works well together and designs the best plan for all. It's good to hear those experiences and you were not fair to the PP you responded to.

NP here. I'm on the same page as 9:00. It's one thing to say you, personally, don't need an advocate, it's another to say you disagree with using one. The PPs weren't saying an advocate was always required, they were relating their experiences. Some of them feel they need advocates, some of them don't. You may not feel it necessary buy you shouldn't negate the experience or needs of others.

Your response also implies that it's when teams don't work well together that you don't get a good IEP. We've had many disagreements with our school IEP teams, that doesn't mean we don't work well together or we don't get good IEPs. Sometimes we have differing opinions on what is needed, sometimes it's the school 'system' that constrains the team. For example, we were recently told by the school team that an OT or AT consultant couldn't be conducted for our DS until there was a signed IEP. It wasn't the school team that made that decision, it was made by administrators outside the school. Yet, it created an huge impediment to the process even though we all got along just fine.

[Anonymous]

We successfully used our shrink - who came to the meeting - and our tutors - and had copies of all the extensive testing. OUr shrink was terrific and mowed down the FCPS school representative who came to fight the IEP without even knowing our child. Dave Angel and Writghtslaw are good. You need to read up to know what to ask for - FCPS isn't going to help you. I had to call the Compliance Officer two times and call meetings because FCPS wasn't complying. Unfortunately, you are going to have to self-educate and act as advocate for your child.

[Anonymous]

Our doctor (of Education) works closely with an advocate from PA, so we used her. I wish I'd hired an advocate early on, as we wasted a few years of our child's education by being too trusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PP! We're new to the process but have been told by others with more experience that we have very strong grounds for filing a state complaint. The problem is that we're worried about retribution by the school team.

Does anyone have any advice about this?

What would your grounds be for filing a state complaint? I'm sincerely not being snarky, but would you feel comfortable with these professionals working with your child if you're feeling so strongly about having a case against them?

Personally, in my experience, we've had a lot more success working with the team. I understand this isn't always the case for others. However, we found that we didn't always agree with the team, but we worked together and it's always worked out in the best interest of our child. In fact, there have been issues where we've ultimately changed our position based on feedback from the school. I have friends who have been more aggressive and have ultimately gotten what they "want", but the team has been a bit more rigid after that...providing the minimum to meet all expectations. We've preferred a more civil approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Personally, in my experience, we've had a lot more success working with the team. I understand this isn't always the case for others. However, we found that we didn't always agree with the team, but we worked together and it's always worked out in the best interest of our child. In fact, there have been issues where we've ultimately changed our position based on feedback from the school. I have friends who have been more aggressive and have ultimately gotten what they "want", but the team has been a bit more rigid after that...providing the minimum to meet all expectations. We've preferred a more civil approach.

I too prefer a more civil approach, but when the "team" consistently ignored my input, told me that the 8 months of progress we saw in reading after a summer of private tutoring was an anomaly (after two years where our ds's reading level had basically flatland with their program), and insisted that my child was intellectually disabled despite a ton of evidence to the contrary, a "civil" approach clearly wasn't working.

I'm glad you've had success. We had success with ds's first school. His second was a complete and utter nightmare.