Non-consented IEP - SLD reading

[Anonymous]

OP here - I was just checking back and wanted to respond about the special ed attorney piece. I am stretched VERY thin for money right now, especially post-holidays. Yes, I am privileged in that both my husband I have decent, professional, middle-class jobs, but finances are extremely tight right now, more than ever. My parents have been very generous and are offering assistance where they can, but they are not wealthy, and there are limits.

If this can be resolved quickly with appropriate services in school, then I will not hire a special education attorney. I have spoken directly with the sped director, who is supportive of strongly enhancing the IEP and has essentially reassured me that we WILL resolve this and apologized repeatedly for our experience, and I've had an extremely experienced SPED teacher that I trust review the non-consented IEP, MY draft IEP changes, and has provided me with terrific, direct feedback. I partly used my connections for just support and checking/validation that what I am asking for is NOT unreasonable and some general advice, but while I was initially hesitant to jump to speaking with the sped director, I was encouraged to do so quickly and I did. I am not dragging my feet.

I am simultaneously also navigating school placements for my older child, who is also neurodivergent but has radically different needs. I've had to navigate it all at the SAME time and it will require a significant amount of money, that I need to figure out.

Plus I've been super behind on my work and trying to catch up so I can meet deadlines and I'm just surviving at the moment and all in the midst of everything on in our country which is traumatic for basically everyone at this point....so I'm just like Dory from Finding Nemo, "Just keep Swimming" this week.

I have a lot of next steps in this week to get through before hiring an attorney. I would appreciate resources for finding a SPED attorney, so I can explore costs/ect. if need be.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

you can work all you want on the IEP and you will still never get the services your kid needs in a public school anywhere.

Hire a private tutor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I was just checking back and wanted to respond about the special ed attorney piece. I am stretched VERY thin for money right now, especially post-holidays. Yes, I am privileged in that both my husband I have decent, professional, middle-class jobs, but finances are extremely tight right now, more than ever. My parents have been very generous and are offering assistance where they can, but they are not wealthy, and there are limits.

If this can be resolved quickly with appropriate services in school, then I will not hire a special education attorney. I have spoken directly with the sped director, who is supportive of strongly enhancing the IEP and has essentially reassured me that we WILL resolve this and apologized repeatedly for our experience, and I've had an extremely experienced SPED teacher that I trust review the non-consented IEP, MY draft IEP changes, and has provided me with terrific, direct feedback. I partly used my connections for just support and checking/validation that what I am asking for is NOT unreasonable and some general advice, but while I was initially hesitant to jump to speaking with the sped director, I was encouraged to do so quickly and I did. I am not dragging my feet.

I am simultaneously also navigating school placements for my older child, who is also neurodivergent but has radically different needs. I've had to navigate it all at the SAME time and it will require a significant amount of money, that I need to figure out.

Plus I've been super behind on my work and trying to catch up so I can meet deadlines and I'm just surviving at the moment and all in the midst of everything on in our country which is traumatic for basically everyone at this point....so I'm just like Dory from Finding Nemo, "Just keep Swimming" this week.

I have a lot of next steps in this week to get through before hiring an attorney. I would appreciate resources for finding a SPED attorney, so I can explore costs/ect. if need be.

Thanks

I don’t get you. Get your child a freaking dyslexia tutor. Cancel Netflix if you have to. You are so clearly stalling it’s sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I was just checking back and wanted to respond about the special ed attorney piece. I am stretched VERY thin for money right now, especially post-holidays. Yes, I am privileged in that both my husband I have decent, professional, middle-class jobs, but finances are extremely tight right now, more than ever. My parents have been very generous and are offering assistance where they can, but they are not wealthy, and there are limits.

If this can be resolved quickly with appropriate services in school, then I will not hire a special education attorney. I have spoken directly with the sped director, who is supportive of strongly enhancing the IEP and has essentially reassured me that we WILL resolve this and apologized repeatedly for our experience, and I've had an extremely experienced SPED teacher that I trust review the non-consented IEP, MY draft IEP changes, and has provided me with terrific, direct feedback. I partly used my connections for just support and checking/validation that what I am asking for is NOT unreasonable and some general advice, but while I was initially hesitant to jump to speaking with the sped director, I was encouraged to do so quickly and I did. I am not dragging my feet.

I am simultaneously also navigating school placements for my older child, who is also neurodivergent but has radically different needs. I've had to navigate it all at the SAME time and it will require a significant amount of money, that I need to figure out.

Plus I've been super behind on my work and trying to catch up so I can meet deadlines and I'm just surviving at the moment and all in the midst of everything on in our country which is traumatic for basically everyone at this point....so I'm just like Dory from Finding Nemo, "Just keep Swimming" this week.

I have a lot of next steps in this week to get through before hiring an attorney. I would appreciate resources for finding a SPED attorney, so I can explore costs/ect. if need be.

Thanks

I don’t get you. Get your child a freaking dyslexia tutor. Cancel Netflix if you have to. You are so clearly stalling it’s sad.

I really don't understand either. OP is going to end up with a fantastic IEP ON PAPER, but in reality nothing much is going to change. The reason the principal pushed back is because logistically the model that is being used at your school is a sped teacher pushes in. That is really useless for a kid with dyslexia. All you asked for was 15 minutes of a small group session and the principal still was opposed.

So go ahead and waste time and money with an advocate/ special education attorney / meetings, etc. So time will be added to the IEP with a special ed teacher who is now going to try to figure out how to pull out your child for reading when it is obvious that is not what the sped teacher is used to or has much experience doing.

Meanwhile it will be September when all this will be implemented and your kid will be in third grade and still not reading.

Save yourself the trouble and throw money at the problem (or ask your parents to) to help your kid learn to read. What could be more important than that? One to one tutoring is always going to be better than what the school provides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I was just checking back and wanted to respond about the special ed attorney piece. I am stretched VERY thin for money right now, especially post-holidays. Yes, I am privileged in that both my husband I have decent, professional, middle-class jobs, but finances are extremely tight right now, more than ever. My parents have been very generous and are offering assistance where they can, but they are not wealthy, and there are limits.

If this can be resolved quickly with appropriate services in school, then I will not hire a special education attorney. I have spoken directly with the sped director, who is supportive of strongly enhancing the IEP and has essentially reassured me that we WILL resolve this and apologized repeatedly for our experience, and I've had an extremely experienced SPED teacher that I trust review the non-consented IEP, MY draft IEP changes, and has provided me with terrific, direct feedback. I partly used my connections for just support and checking/validation that what I am asking for is NOT unreasonable and some general advice, but while I was initially hesitant to jump to speaking with the sped director, I was encouraged to do so quickly and I did. I am not dragging my feet.

I am simultaneously also navigating school placements for my older child, who is also neurodivergent but has radically different needs. I've had to navigate it all at the SAME time and it will require a significant amount of money, that I need to figure out.

Plus I've been super behind on my work and trying to catch up so I can meet deadlines and I'm just surviving at the moment and all in the midst of everything on in our country which is traumatic for basically everyone at this point....so I'm just like Dory from Finding Nemo, "Just keep Swimming" this week.

I have a lot of next steps in this week to get through before hiring an attorney. I would appreciate resources for finding a SPED attorney, so I can explore costs/ect. if need be.

Thanks

I don’t get you. Get your child a freaking dyslexia tutor. Cancel Netflix if you have to. You are so clearly stalling it’s sad.

This, even a regular tutor. You can get online tutors much cheaper. Usually when people claim they are middle class around here they live in million dollar houses and have other priorities. Your kid is struggling and they need help in and outside school.

[Anonymous]

I have a lot of sympathy for OP. It sounds like sje works within the school system, and it can be deeply disorienting when you realize the school system will not help your kid. It will try, and it will still not be enough. It takes time to come to terms with the cognitive dissonance.

At the same time OP’s daughter doesn’t have time, so those of us who have BTDT know where she will end up and want her to just skip the useless effort and get her daughter a tutor.

Your daughter needs 50 min 3x week of a tier 3, structured literacy interventions (a real program, not a mishmash) delivered with fidelity and intensity one-on-one. That is what is needed to get a dyslexic kid reading well. If the school will give her that, yay! If it won’t, she still needs it.

[Anonymous]

Agree that getting a great IEP isn’t going to fix anything and all a lawyer would do is get you an IEP. OP’s child needs a tutor experienced with dyslexia. All of the time, money and lawyers in the world aren’t going to get OP’s child reading proficiently unless OP uses that time and money productively.

I too don’t get OP. So many of us have been done this path and somehow OP believes she will reach a different destination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I was just checking back and wanted to respond about the special ed attorney piece. I am stretched VERY thin for money right now, especially post-holidays. Yes, I am privileged in that both my husband I have decent, professional, middle-class jobs, but finances are extremely tight right now, more than ever. My parents have been very generous and are offering assistance where they can, but they are not wealthy, and there are limits.

If this can be resolved quickly with appropriate services in school, then I will not hire a special education attorney. I have spoken directly with the sped director, who is supportive of strongly enhancing the IEP and has essentially reassured me that we WILL resolve this and apologized repeatedly for our experience, and I've had an extremely experienced SPED teacher that I trust review the non-consented IEP, MY draft IEP changes, and has provided me with terrific, direct feedback. I partly used my connections for just support and checking/validation that what I am asking for is NOT unreasonable and some general advice, but while I was initially hesitant to jump to speaking with the sped director, I was encouraged to do so quickly and I did. I am not dragging my feet.

I am simultaneously also navigating school placements for my older child, who is also neurodivergent but has radically different needs. I've had to navigate it all at the SAME time and it will require a significant amount of money, that I need to figure out.

Plus I've been super behind on my work and trying to catch up so I can meet deadlines and I'm just surviving at the moment and all in the midst of everything on in our country which is traumatic for basically everyone at this point....so I'm just like Dory from Finding Nemo, "Just keep Swimming" this week.

I have a lot of next steps in this week to get through before hiring an attorney. I would appreciate resources for finding a SPED attorney, so I can explore costs/ect. if need be.

Thanks

I don’t get you. Get your child a freaking dyslexia tutor. Cancel Netflix if you have to. You are so clearly stalling it’s sad.

I’m a dyslexia tutor, and let’s be fair to OP - cancelling Netflix won’t cover my fees. I cost $1,000 per month, and it will be an over a year for full remediation. It’s A LOT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I was just checking back and wanted to respond about the special ed attorney piece. I am stretched VERY thin for money right now, especially post-holidays. Yes, I am privileged in that both my husband I have decent, professional, middle-class jobs, but finances are extremely tight right now, more than ever. My parents have been very generous and are offering assistance where they can, but they are not wealthy, and there are limits.

If this can be resolved quickly with appropriate services in school, then I will not hire a special education attorney. I have spoken directly with the sped director, who is supportive of strongly enhancing the IEP and has essentially reassured me that we WILL resolve this and apologized repeatedly for our experience, and I've had an extremely experienced SPED teacher that I trust review the non-consented IEP, MY draft IEP changes, and has provided me with terrific, direct feedback. I partly used my connections for just support and checking/validation that what I am asking for is NOT unreasonable and some general advice, but while I was initially hesitant to jump to speaking with the sped director, I was encouraged to do so quickly and I did. I am not dragging my feet.

I am simultaneously also navigating school placements for my older child, who is also neurodivergent but has radically different needs. I've had to navigate it all at the SAME time and it will require a significant amount of money, that I need to figure out.

Plus I've been super behind on my work and trying to catch up so I can meet deadlines and I'm just surviving at the moment and all in the midst of everything on in our country which is traumatic for basically everyone at this point....so I'm just like Dory from Finding Nemo, "Just keep Swimming" this week.

I have a lot of next steps in this week to get through before hiring an attorney. I would appreciate resources for finding a SPED attorney, so I can explore costs/ect. if need be.

Thanks

I don’t get you. Get your child a freaking dyslexia tutor. Cancel Netflix if you have to. You are so clearly stalling it’s sad.

I’m a dyslexia tutor, and let’s be fair to OP - cancelling Netflix won’t cover my fees. I cost $1,000 per month, and it will be an over a year for full remediation. It’s A LOT.

I am sure an attorney’s costs will rival yours and you are much more likely to get her kid reading.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I am NOT stalling. My child still needs the IEP regardless of what outside interventions we can put in place.

My child is already receiving tutoring services once a week and we are increasing it to 2x a week for now and I'm going to talk with the tutor about shifting to using an O-G intervention.

I am researching OTHER private tutoring options because this tutor cannot do more than 2 days a week. I have been reading up on different options, making calls, all while preparing for the IEP meeting, trying to read and practice writing with my child, AND while managing a high amount of work professionally AND supporting my other child and trying to manage my home. I literally only have so many hours in the day and am already getting very little sleep trying to accomplish EVERYTHING. How the heck is that "stalling"??!

I do not live in a mansion, heck- I don't even live in Northern Virginia anymore. I do not have a lot of "luxuries" in my home and I 100% do prioritize my children's education and doing the very best I can. Shaming me saying that I am "stalling" and it doesn't make sense to keep trying for an IEP....like dang, you can fight for a good IEP AND do your best to get private services in place at the same time. I am quite literally only one person. There has been some helpful advice, but these last few comments....NOT helpful, at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I am NOT stalling. My child still needs the IEP regardless of what outside interventions we can put in place.

My child is already receiving tutoring services once a week and we are increasing it to 2x a week for now and I'm going to talk with the tutor about shifting to using an O-G intervention.

I am researching OTHER private tutoring options because this tutor cannot do more than 2 days a week. I have been reading up on different options, making calls, all while preparing for the IEP meeting, trying to read and practice writing with my child, AND while managing a high amount of work professionally AND supporting my other child and trying to manage my home. I literally only have so many hours in the day and am already getting very little sleep trying to accomplish EVERYTHING. How the heck is that "stalling"??!

I do not live in a mansion, heck- I don't even live in Northern Virginia anymore. I do not have a lot of "luxuries" in my home and I 100% do prioritize my children's education and doing the very best I can. Shaming me saying that I am "stalling" and it doesn't make sense to keep trying for an IEP....like dang, you can fight for a good IEP AND do your best to get private services in place at the same time. I am quite literally only one person. There has been some helpful advice, but these last few comments....NOT helpful, at all.

Do 1-2 days of OG, find a cheap tutor online for a few other days or do it yourself. We pay under $20 an hour for an online tutor who is very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I am NOT stalling. My child still needs the IEP regardless of what outside interventions we can put in place.

My child is already receiving tutoring services once a week and we are increasing it to 2x a week for now and I'm going to talk with the tutor about shifting to using an O-G intervention.

I am researching OTHER private tutoring options because this tutor cannot do more than 2 days a week. I have been reading up on different options, making calls, all while preparing for the IEP meeting, trying to read and practice writing with my child, AND while managing a high amount of work professionally AND supporting my other child and trying to manage my home. I literally only have so many hours in the day and am already getting very little sleep trying to accomplish EVERYTHING. How the heck is that "stalling"??!

I do not live in a mansion, heck- I don't even live in Northern Virginia anymore. I do not have a lot of "luxuries" in my home and I 100% do prioritize my children's education and doing the very best I can. Shaming me saying that I am "stalling" and it doesn't make sense to keep trying for an IEP....like dang, you can fight for a good IEP AND do your best to get private services in place at the same time. I am quite literally only one person. There has been some helpful advice, but these last few comments....NOT helpful, at all.

You’re doing great. Ignore them. You are following the steps to get appropriate services in school, and already have outside tutoring that you are increasing. You’re doing the right things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I am NOT stalling. My child still needs the IEP regardless of what outside interventions we can put in place.

My child is already receiving tutoring services once a week and we are increasing it to 2x a week for now and I'm going to talk with the tutor about shifting to using an O-G intervention.

I am researching OTHER private tutoring options because this tutor cannot do more than 2 days a week. I have been reading up on different options, making calls, all while preparing for the IEP meeting, trying to read and practice writing with my child, AND while managing a high amount of work professionally AND supporting my other child and trying to manage my home. I literally only have so many hours in the day and am already getting very little sleep trying to accomplish EVERYTHING. How the heck is that "stalling"??!

I do not live in a mansion, heck- I don't even live in Northern Virginia anymore. I do not have a lot of "luxuries" in my home and I 100% do prioritize my children's education and doing the very best I can. Shaming me saying that I am "stalling" and it doesn't make sense to keep trying for an IEP....like dang, you can fight for a good IEP AND do your best to get private services in place at the same time. I am quite literally only one person. There has been some helpful advice, but these last few comments....NOT helpful, at all.

You’re doing great. Ignore them. You are following the steps to get appropriate services in school, and already have outside tutoring that you are increasing. You’re doing the right things.

OP here. Thank you!

I have an update to share. We had the 3rd IEP meeting last week and I came in much more prepared than I was for the 2nd, but it ended up being an awful meeting! It lasted 2 hours, and we made a few changes to the accommodations and changed the 1 goal a little, but we kept going in circles again and again. I did follow up with the sped director and after much communication over the weekend with proposed draft changes, and some additional requests for data from us, AND the sped director speaking directly with the principal, we had a much more productive IEP meeting yesterday. It is much better than where it started and it's not perfect, but it's definitely a start. I have heard that his sped case manager is an amazing teacher and she did seem really nice, but was limited at least in the meetings by what the principal was saying and doing. She got to work with my child yesterday and it went really well!

I am going to look into summer reading programs for my child; probably in northern va (preferably very accessible from arlington). I am looking into the Lindamood-Bell summer program, in Fairfax.

I also reached out to another family at our school who have a child receiving sped services and the mother also works for the district and so she has experienced navigating all of this with navigating those tricky relationships. They live in our neighborhood and had us over for dinner and were so kind and encouraging!! It is so isolating in my community having my professional role and then being the parent of children with invisible disabilities and not feeling like I can access the same supports that other parents can access and just having it all so intermingled is incredibly hard.

[Anonymous]

Hey OP I am a school professional who had to fight my school district-- including an attorney and filing complaints. It took a huge toll on me, and I made a few enemies along the way, but was necessary. I had close colleagues who I could disclose to.

I also buckled down and worked with my child every day for years and continue to do so, including weekends and summers. This was most important- if money is tight, just buy your own research based OG reading system-- no need to spend $1,000 a month-- you can do this yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I am NOT stalling. My child still needs the IEP regardless of what outside interventions we can put in place.

My child is already receiving tutoring services once a week and we are increasing it to 2x a week for now and I'm going to talk with the tutor about shifting to using an O-G intervention.

I am researching OTHER private tutoring options because this tutor cannot do more than 2 days a week. I have been reading up on different options, making calls, all while preparing for the IEP meeting, trying to read and practice writing with my child, AND while managing a high amount of work professionally AND supporting my other child and trying to manage my home. I literally only have so many hours in the day and am already getting very little sleep trying to accomplish EVERYTHING. How the heck is that "stalling"??!

I do not live in a mansion, heck- I don't even live in Northern Virginia anymore. I do not have a lot of "luxuries" in my home and I 100% do prioritize my children's education and doing the very best I can. Shaming me saying that I am "stalling" and it doesn't make sense to keep trying for an IEP....like dang, you can fight for a good IEP AND do your best to get private services in place at the same time. I am quite literally only one person. There has been some helpful advice, but these last few comments....NOT helpful, at all.

Do 1-2 days of OG, find a cheap tutor online for a few other days or do it yourself. We pay under $20 an hour for an online tutor who is very helpful.

Not op, may i ask where do you find under $20 and hour online. Could you share? Thanks.