Montgomery County services

[Anonymous]

dcgrl15 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me,Iwoukd consider a school that is a "home school model" school. This means that all services are do one at your home school, the school your child would attend in your neighborhood. It is inclusive, your child is not bussed to another school and your child has school friends in the neighborhood. If your child needs more supports, another school might be necessary. For example, our home school is Kensington Parkwood. It is not a home school model. So they do not have the resources for my child so my daughter has to be blessed to another school. The home school model lets your child stay in the neighborhood and get the services they need.

Home school model seems ideal. Thanks for your input.

OP, I just wanted to let you know that all schools in MCPS that have general ed students have either home school model (SPED, speech, OT, PT, psychologists, and social workers (PPWs) on staff) or Learning and Academic Disabilities model (LAD). LAD is the same as home school model except that they have more special educators on staff to provide a slightly more supported classroom. Kensington Parkwood is a LAD model (very few schools are). There is no school in MCPS that doesn't have all of those staff members assigned and in place, so please don't stress about that. If the child is unable to be supported in his home school and requires a more restrictive program, like the PP's, they will be bussed to it. Pick the best house for your family.

This all starts in kindergarten, btw. Pre-school is not required in Maryland so there do not have to be pre-k supports in your child's home school. If a child qualifies for a pre-k IEP, they will be bussed to a nearby school that has the appropriate pre-k program. (Which then has SPED, speech, OT, PT, etc on staff)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

dcgrl15 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living close to a school with a program doesn't mean you'll be admitted to the program.

Also, OP, I doubt you'll have any difficulty in getting into a PEP program. I have heard good things about Bethesda Elementary being inclusive, but it's faced over enrollment and some kids (without IEPs) were sent to Rosemary Hills in the past.

I do think consulting with an advocate would be helpful in coalescing the anecdotal information you're getting as well as being able to highlight the different schools/programs.

Also, if you do decide to do a private SN school, most require a full evaluation by a developmental pediatrician or educational evaluation by a psychologist. Given the age of your kid, you'd probably want to go with a d.p. Probably the easiest route is going through Children's or Kennedy Krieger.

This group hold a SN school every fall at AU: http://www.exceptionalschoolsfair.com

Lastly, and I'm really not trying to stir up any controversy, but MERLD is no longer in the DSM. My kid was not on the spectrum (initially diagnosed with MERLD and fine motor issues), the only IEP designation MCPS would consider was autism for several years. He actually has Specific Language Disorder, but generally getting that diagnosis the kid has to be at least 6 years old (b/c of the testing involved) and don't get me started how long it took with MCPS. Your kid is very young and diagnoses can be fluid, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

Thanks very much for all this information. And yes, understood about the diagnosis thing. The private agency that evaluated him identified his speech eval/results as MERLD but that "diagnosis" isnt only what got him his IEP. It was the combo of his slow processing time (potentially the result of the MERLD) with his fine motor delays, etc. The public school system here doesnt give a diagnosis to preschool age kids so he was identified as "preschooler with a disability" after all his evaluation results were combined and in order to get his IEP.

His IEP probably is coded under Developmental Delay now. You can keep it until age 7 or 9, but the schools usually pressure parents to change it to something different at the start of K. That's another reason an advocate can be helpful. (Some kids really are just slower in maturing; others will need support beyond age 7+.)

This website is very helpful in explaining the IEP process: http://www.wrightslaw.com

Agreed on the DD code. You can keep the DD code until a child is 7 years 11 months in MD, so most schools look to change it at 6, because most children with IEPs come in through PEP and had evaluations at 3, and are due for their triennial evaluations at 6. So they roll it all together, since the deadline is looming. Depends on the child though-I've seen some schools push it off until 7 to get more information, but they do not want your code to expire on your IEP.

[Anonymous]

These are the codes that MCPS accepts:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/ims/support/IEP_Disability_Codes.pdf

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Living close to a school with a program doesn't mean you'll be admitted to the program.

Also, OP, I doubt you'll have any difficulty in getting into a PEP program. I have heard good things about Bethesda Elementary being inclusive, but it's faced over enrollment and some kids (without IEPs) were sent to Rosemary Hills in the past.

I do think consulting with an advocate would be helpful in coalescing the anecdotal information you're getting as well as being able to highlight the different schools/programs.

Also, if you do decide to do a private SN school, most require a full evaluation by a developmental pediatrician or educational evaluation by a psychologist. Given the age of your kid, you'd probably want to go with a d.p. Probably the easiest route is going through Children's or Kennedy Krieger.

This group hold a SN school every fall at AU: http://www.exceptionalschoolsfair.com

Lastly, and I'm really not trying to stir up any controversy, but MERLD is no longer in the DSM. My kid was not on the spectrum (initially diagnosed with MERLD and fine motor issues), the only IEP designation MCPS would consider was autism for several years. He actually has Specific Language Disorder, but generally getting that diagnosis the kid has to be at least 6 years old (b/c of the testing involved) and don't get me started how long it took with MCPS. Your kid is very young and diagnoses can be fluid, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

FYI, kids from Bethesda Elem were never sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. RAther, kids in E. Bethesda were zones to RHPS for K-2 and then zones to BES for 3-5 as part of the effort to integrate the school sytem from the late 70s on. Recently BES parents lobbied successfully to have their kids removed from this pairing and now they articulate K-5 to BES. It had nothing to do with overcrowding. There is zero chance that a child in the BES district could get sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. An IEP can decide to offer a placement at a special program at another school, but that is different.

Also, on MERLD - yes, the MERLD diagnosis is no longer in the DSM, but it's not like that is some kind of reflection that it was never real. MERLD is now under a broader category called "communication disorder.". MERLD can encompass a very wide range of skills and ability. Some kids diagnosed with MERLD are pushed into autism programs on the theory that the degree of lack of communication is the same so the autism program envirknment might work. Other kids have MERLD but have more funvtional language skills and may timately be categorized with specificlearning disabilty but this doesn't usuall happen hntil kids reach 7 or 8 by which time the expectation to read and write is strong.



Also

[Anonymous]

In MCPS the cut off they generally use for taking kids out of neighborhood schools is 15 hours in their IEP. Any more you will have to fight them to keep them at your local school. Any less and you'll have to fight them for the opposite to get in to a specialized program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS the cut off they generally use for taking kids out of neighborhood schools is 15 hours in their IEP. Any more you will have to fight them to keep them at your local school. Any less and you'll have to fight them for the opposite to get in to a specialized program.

Not always true. In the three schools I've worked in we had many children with more than 15 hours on their IEPs receiving services under home school model. It was just as common as having resource (less than 15 hours). Now, it is true that it's unlikely that you'd qualify for a program with fewer than 15 hours on an IEP already. They need to document that the supports available at the school aren't working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS the cut off they generally use for taking kids out of neighborhood schools is 15 hours in their IEP. Any more you will have to fight them to keep them at your local school. Any less and you'll have to fight them for the opposite to get in to a specialized program.

Not always true. In the three schools I've worked in we had many children with more than 15 hours on their IEPs receiving services under home school model. It was just as common as having resource (less than 15 hours). Now, it is true that it's unlikely that you'd qualify for a program with fewer than 15 hours on an IEP already. They need to document that the supports available at the school aren't working.

OP here- Ahh Im confused. What does15 hours refer to? Sorry my son is only a preschooler so Im not well versed on any of this yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living close to a school with a program doesn't mean you'll be admitted to the program.

Also, OP, I doubt you'll have any difficulty in getting into a PEP program. I have heard good things about Bethesda Elementary being inclusive, but it's faced over enrollment and some kids (without IEPs) were sent to Rosemary Hills in the past.

I do think consulting with an advocate would be helpful in coalescing the anecdotal information you're getting as well as being able to highlight the different schools/programs.

Also, if you do decide to do a private SN school, most require a full evaluation by a developmental pediatrician or educational evaluation by a psychologist. Given the age of your kid, you'd probably want to go with a d.p. Probably the easiest route is going through Children's or Kennedy Krieger.

This group hold a SN school every fall at AU: http://www.exceptionalschoolsfair.com

Lastly, and I'm really not trying to stir up any controversy, but MERLD is no longer in the DSM. My kid was not on the spectrum (initially diagnosed with MERLD and fine motor issues), the only IEP designation MCPS would consider was autism for several years. He actually has Specific Language Disorder, but generally getting that diagnosis the kid has to be at least 6 years old (b/c of the testing involved) and don't get me started how long it took with MCPS. Your kid is very young and diagnoses can be fluid, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

FYI, kids from Bethesda Elem were never sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. RAther, kids in E. Bethesda were zones to RHPS for K-2 and then zones to BES for 3-5 as part of the effort to integrate the school sytem from the late 70s on. Recently BES parents lobbied successfully to have their kids removed from this pairing and now they articulate K-5 to BES. It had nothing to do with overcrowding. There is zero chance that a child in the BES district could get sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. An IEP can decide to offer a placement at a special program at another school, but that is different.

Also, on MERLD - yes, the MERLD diagnosis is no longer in the DSM, but it's not like that is some kind of reflection that it was never real. MERLD is now under a broader category called "communication disorder.". MERLD can encompass a very wide range of skills and ability. Some kids diagnosed with MERLD are pushed into autism programs on the theory that the degree of lack of communication is the same so the autism program envirknment might work. Other kids have MERLD but have more funvtional language skills and may timately be categorized with specificlearning disabilty but this doesn't usuall happen hntil kids reach 7 or 8 by which time the expectation to read and write is strong.

Also

It wasn't the 70s, and overcrowding was what the parents who were slated for Bethesda Elementary told me. It a few years ago and it was not a re-zoning issue; they were slated for Bethesda Elementary and lived within that school's boundary.

Secondly, a kid with MERLD won't be coded with "communication disorder," for an IEP simply b/c MCPS doesn't have that. They have "04 Speech/Language Impairment" which is basically stuttering or other fluency issue,

"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, defines the term “speech or language impairment” as follows:
(11) Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” [34 CFR §300.8(c)(11]"

I already mentioned that a kid would need to be older to test into the Specific Learning Disability. So stop babbling about the range of what MERLD-diagnosed kids have. It has nothing to that. It has to do with what codes are available to the OP: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/ims/support/IEP_Disability_Codes.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living close to a school with a program doesn't mean you'll be admitted to the program.

Also, OP, I doubt you'll have any difficulty in getting into a PEP program. I have heard good things about Bethesda Elementary being inclusive, but it's faced over enrollment and some kids (without IEPs) were sent to Rosemary Hills in the past.

I do think consulting with an advocate would be helpful in coalescing the anecdotal information you're getting as well as being able to highlight the different schools/programs.

Also, if you do decide to do a private SN school, most require a full evaluation by a developmental pediatrician or educational evaluation by a psychologist. Given the age of your kid, you'd probably want to go with a d.p. Probably the easiest route is going through Children's or Kennedy Krieger.

This group hold a SN school every fall at AU: http://www.exceptionalschoolsfair.com

Lastly, and I'm really not trying to stir up any controversy, but MERLD is no longer in the DSM. My kid was not on the spectrum (initially diagnosed with MERLD and fine motor issues), the only IEP designation MCPS would consider was autism for several years. He actually has Specific Language Disorder, but generally getting that diagnosis the kid has to be at least 6 years old (b/c of the testing involved) and don't get me started how long it took with MCPS. Your kid is very young and diagnoses can be fluid, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

FYI, kids from Bethesda Elem were never sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. RAther, kids in E. Bethesda were zones to RHPS for K-2 and then zones to BES for 3-5 as part of the effort to integrate the school sytem from the late 70s on. Recently BES parents lobbied successfully to have their kids removed from this pairing and now they articulate K-5 to BES. It had nothing to do with overcrowding. There is zero chance that a child in the BES district could get sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. An IEP can decide to offer a placement at a special program at another school, but that is different.

Also, on MERLD - yes, the MERLD diagnosis is no longer in the DSM, but it's not like that is some kind of reflection that it was never real. MERLD is now under a broader category called "communication disorder.". MERLD can encompass a very wide range of skills and ability. Some kids diagnosed with MERLD are pushed into autism programs on the theory that the degree of lack of communication is the same so the autism program envirknment might work. Other kids have MERLD but have more funvtional language skills and may timately be categorized with specificlearning disabilty but this doesn't usuall happen hntil kids reach 7 or 8 by which time the expectation to read and write is strong.

Also

It wasn't the 70s, and overcrowding was what the parents who were slated for Bethesda Elementary told me. It a few years ago and it was not a re-zoning issue; they were slated for Bethesda Elementary and lived within that school's boundary.

Secondly, a kid with MERLD won't be coded with "communication disorder," for an IEP simply b/c MCPS doesn't have that. They have "04 Speech/Language Impairment" which is basically stuttering or other fluency issue,

"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, defines the term “speech or language impairment” as follows:
(11) Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” [34 CFR §300.8(c)(11]"

I already mentioned that a kid would need to be older to test into the Specific Learning Disability. So stop babbling about the range of what MERLD-diagnosed kids have. It has nothing to that. It has to do with what codes are available to the OP: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/ims/support/IEP_Disability_Codes.pdf

MCPS SLP here. A child who has MERLD, or the current equivalent, would typically be coded as Speech/Language Impairment in MCPS unless the child has significant academic disabilities (which may or may not be related to the language) and qualifies for a code of SLD. We all have different terms to mean generally the same concepts-One district might use communication disorder, another speech or language disability, etc.

But the OP's child would almost certainly be coded as Developmental Delay, due to their age and the fact that they have an "equivalent" code already for DD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS the cut off they generally use for taking kids out of neighborhood schools is 15 hours in their IEP. Any more you will have to fight them to keep them at your local school. Any less and you'll have to fight them for the opposite to get in to a specialized program.

Not always true. In the three schools I've worked in we had many children with more than 15 hours on their IEPs receiving services under home school model. It was just as common as having resource (less than 15 hours). Now, it is true that it's unlikely that you'd qualify for a program with fewer than 15 hours on an IEP already. They need to document that the supports available at the school aren't working.

OP here- Ahh Im confused. What does15 hours refer to? Sorry my son is only a preschooler so Im not well versed on any of this yet.

Sorry, OP, that was me. We are getting waaay off topic for you. The hours thing starts in Kindergarten. I was just pointing out that lots of children get more than 15 hours of service on their IEPs in their home schools, and that it is not typically to be moved to a special program for that reason alone.

I just want to reiterate that you need to pick the house that makes your family happy (neighbors, commute, size, amenities) because you don't know what the future holds. You could pick the "perfect" school and then find that your child is bussed to another. Pick the house you want with a home school that you're comfortable with in regard to size, proximity, test scores, whatever. MCPS has supports in every school and they are able to meet the vast majority of students' needs. If it's not working for your child, that's something you can address down the line, but don't borrow trouble now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living close to a school with a program doesn't mean you'll be admitted to the program.

Also, OP, I doubt you'll have any difficulty in getting into a PEP program. I have heard good things about Bethesda Elementary being inclusive, but it's faced over enrollment and some kids (without IEPs) were sent to Rosemary Hills in the past.

I do think consulting with an advocate would be helpful in coalescing the anecdotal information you're getting as well as being able to highlight the different schools/programs.

Also, if you do decide to do a private SN school, most require a full evaluation by a developmental pediatrician or educational evaluation by a psychologist. Given the age of your kid, you'd probably want to go with a d.p. Probably the easiest route is going through Children's or Kennedy Krieger.

This group hold a SN school every fall at AU: http://www.exceptionalschoolsfair.com

Lastly, and I'm really not trying to stir up any controversy, but MERLD is no longer in the DSM. My kid was not on the spectrum (initially diagnosed with MERLD and fine motor issues), the only IEP designation MCPS would consider was autism for several years. He actually has Specific Language Disorder, but generally getting that diagnosis the kid has to be at least 6 years old (b/c of the testing involved) and don't get me started how long it took with MCPS. Your kid is very young and diagnoses can be fluid, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

FYI, kids from Bethesda Elem were never sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. RAther, kids in E. Bethesda were zones to RHPS for K-2 and then zones to BES for 3-5 as part of the effort to integrate the school sytem from the late 70s on. Recently BES parents lobbied successfully to have their kids removed from this pairing and now they articulate K-5 to BES. It had nothing to do with overcrowding. There is zero chance that a child in the BES district could get sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. An IEP can decide to offer a placement at a special program at another school, but that is different.

Also, on MERLD - yes, the MERLD diagnosis is no longer in the DSM, but it's not like that is some kind of reflection that it was never real. MERLD is now under a broader category called "communication disorder.". MERLD can encompass a very wide range of skills and ability. Some kids diagnosed with MERLD are pushed into autism programs on the theory that the degree of lack of communication is the same so the autism program envirknment might work. Other kids have MERLD but have more funvtional language skills and may timately be categorized with specificlearning disabilty but this doesn't usuall happen hntil kids reach 7 or 8 by which time the expectation to read and write is strong.

Also

It wasn't the 70s, and overcrowding was what the parents who were slated for Bethesda Elementary told me. It a few years ago and it was not a re-zoning issue; they were slated for Bethesda Elementary and lived within that school's boundary.

Secondly, a kid with MERLD won't be coded with "communication disorder," for an IEP simply b/c MCPS doesn't have that. They have "04 Speech/Language Impairment" which is basically stuttering or other fluency issue,

"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, defines the term “speech or language impairment” as follows:
(11) Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” [34 CFR §300.8(c)(11]"

I already mentioned that a kid would need to be older to test into the Specific Learning Disability. So stop babbling about the range of what MERLD-diagnosed kids have. It has nothing to that. It has to do with what codes are available to the OP: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/ims/support/IEP_Disability_Codes.pdf

MCPS SLP here. A child who has MERLD, or the current equivalent, would typically be coded as Speech/Language Impairment in MCPS unless the child has significant academic disabilities (which may or may not be related to the language) and qualifies for a code of SLD. We all have different terms to mean generally the same concepts-One district might use communication disorder, another speech or language disability, etc.

But the OP's child would almost certainly be coded as Developmental Delay, due to their age and the fact that they have an "equivalent" code already for DD.

Communication disorders at MCPS are usually coded as Specific Learning Impairment or Autism. MCPS heavily favor autism b/c they get more grant money. Very few kids, especially those diagnosed with MERLD or the current DSM equivalent would be coded as Speech/Language Impairment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living close to a school with a program doesn't mean you'll be admitted to the program.

Also, OP, I doubt you'll have any difficulty in getting into a PEP program. I have heard good things about Bethesda Elementary being inclusive, but it's faced over enrollment and some kids (without IEPs) were sent to Rosemary Hills in the past.

I do think consulting with an advocate would be helpful in coalescing the anecdotal information you're getting as well as being able to highlight the different schools/programs.

Also, if you do decide to do a private SN school, most require a full evaluation by a developmental pediatrician or educational evaluation by a psychologist. Given the age of your kid, you'd probably want to go with a d.p. Probably the easiest route is going through Children's or Kennedy Krieger.

This group hold a SN school every fall at AU: http://www.exceptionalschoolsfair.com

Lastly, and I'm really not trying to stir up any controversy, but MERLD is no longer in the DSM. My kid was not on the spectrum (initially diagnosed with MERLD and fine motor issues), the only IEP designation MCPS would consider was autism for several years. He actually has Specific Language Disorder, but generally getting that diagnosis the kid has to be at least 6 years old (b/c of the testing involved) and don't get me started how long it took with MCPS. Your kid is very young and diagnoses can be fluid, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

FYI, kids from Bethesda Elem were never sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. RAther, kids in E. Bethesda were zones to RHPS for K-2 and then zones to BES for 3-5 as part of the effort to integrate the school sytem from the late 70s on. Recently BES parents lobbied successfully to have their kids removed from this pairing and now they articulate K-5 to BES. It had nothing to do with overcrowding. There is zero chance that a child in the BES district could get sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. An IEP can decide to offer a placement at a special program at another school, but that is different.

Also, on MERLD - yes, the MERLD diagnosis is no longer in the DSM, but it's not like that is some kind of reflection that it was never real. MERLD is now under a broader category called "communication disorder.". MERLD can encompass a very wide range of skills and ability. Some kids diagnosed with MERLD are pushed into autism programs on the theory that the degree of lack of communication is the same so the autism program envirknment might work. Other kids have MERLD but have more funvtional language skills and may timately be categorized with specificlearning disabilty but this doesn't usuall happen hntil kids reach 7 or 8 by which time the expectation to read and write is strong.

Also

It wasn't the 70s, and overcrowding was what the parents who were slated for Bethesda Elementary told me. It a few years ago and it was not a re-zoning issue; they were slated for Bethesda Elementary and lived within that school's boundary.

Secondly, a kid with MERLD won't be coded with "communication disorder," for an IEP simply b/c MCPS doesn't have that. They have "04 Speech/Language Impairment" which is basically stuttering or other fluency issue,

"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, defines the term “speech or language impairment” as follows:
(11) Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” [34 CFR §300.8(c)(11]"

I already mentioned that a kid would need to be older to test into the Specific Learning Disability. So stop babbling about the range of what MERLD-diagnosed kids have. It has nothing to that. It has to do with what codes are available to the OP: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/ims/support/IEP_Disability_Codes.pdf

MCPS SLP here. A child who has MERLD, or the current equivalent, would typically be coded as Speech/Language Impairment in MCPS unless the child has significant academic disabilities (which may or may not be related to the language) and qualifies for a code of SLD. We all have different terms to mean generally the same concepts-One district might use communication disorder, another speech or language disability, etc.

But the OP's child would almost certainly be coded as Developmental Delay, due to their age and the fact that they have an "equivalent" code already for DD.

Communication disorders at MCPS are usually coded as Specific Learning Impairment or Autism. MCPS heavily favor autism b/c they get more grant money. Very few kids, especially those diagnosed with MERLD or the current DSM equivalent would be coded as Speech/Language Impairment.

That isn't reflected in any of the schools that I work in or the children who transfer in from other schools. SLD and autism have very strict standards for how to qualify for that code, whereas S/LI requires that the SLP recommend it based on their testing. It is true that many SLPs are working to decrease the over-reliance on S/LI as a code because teams find it easier than the required interventions for SLD, but only for children who should have a more accurate IEP code, based on significant academic, behavioral, or social weaknesses, for example.

Also, having worked in autism programs for 10 years I would love to hear about this grant money. It's not coming to us...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS the cut off they generally use for taking kids out of neighborhood schools is 15 hours in their IEP. Any more you will have to fight them to keep them at your local school. Any less and you'll have to fight them for the opposite to get in to a specialized program.

Not always true. In the three schools I've worked in we had many children with more than 15 hours on their IEPs receiving services under home school model. It was just as common as having resource (less than 15 hours). Now, it is true that it's unlikely that you'd qualify for a program with fewer than 15 hours on an IEP already. They need to document that the supports available at the school aren't working.

OP here- Ahh Im confused. What does15 hours refer to? Sorry my son is only a preschooler so Im not well versed on any of this yet.

Sorry, OP, that was me. We are getting waaay off topic for you. The hours thing starts in Kindergarten. I was just pointing out that lots of children get more than 15 hours of service on their IEPs in their home schools, and that it is not typically to be moved to a special program for that reason alone.

I just want to reiterate that you need to pick the house that makes your family happy (neighbors, commute, size, amenities) because you don't know what the future holds. You could pick the "perfect" school and then find that your child is bussed to another. Pick the house you want with a home school that you're comfortable with in regard to size, proximity, test scores, whatever. MCPS has supports in every school and they are able to meet the vast majority of students' needs. If it's not working for your child, that's something you can address down the line, but don't borrow trouble now.

Thanks, I appreciate the clarification and your recommendation. There really is no way for me to know what the future holds since we are so early on in this, so I will just have to do my best and hope for the best!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living close to a school with a program doesn't mean you'll be admitted to the program.

Also, OP, I doubt you'll have any difficulty in getting into a PEP program. I have heard good things about Bethesda Elementary being inclusive, but it's faced over enrollment and some kids (without IEPs) were sent to Rosemary Hills in the past.

I do think consulting with an advocate would be helpful in coalescing the anecdotal information you're getting as well as being able to highlight the different schools/programs.

Also, if you do decide to do a private SN school, most require a full evaluation by a developmental pediatrician or educational evaluation by a psychologist. Given the age of your kid, you'd probably want to go with a d.p. Probably the easiest route is going through Children's or Kennedy Krieger.

This group hold a SN school every fall at AU: http://www.exceptionalschoolsfair.com

Lastly, and I'm really not trying to stir up any controversy, but MERLD is no longer in the DSM. My kid was not on the spectrum (initially diagnosed with MERLD and fine motor issues), the only IEP designation MCPS would consider was autism for several years. He actually has Specific Language Disorder, but generally getting that diagnosis the kid has to be at least 6 years old (b/c of the testing involved) and don't get me started how long it took with MCPS. Your kid is very young and diagnoses can be fluid, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

FYI, kids from Bethesda Elem were never sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. RAther, kids in E. Bethesda were zones to RHPS for K-2 and then zones to BES for 3-5 as part of the effort to integrate the school sytem from the late 70s on. Recently BES parents lobbied successfully to have their kids removed from this pairing and now they articulate K-5 to BES. It had nothing to do with overcrowding. There is zero chance that a child in the BES district could get sent to RHPS due to overcrowding. An IEP can decide to offer a placement at a special program at another school, but that is different.

Also, on MERLD - yes, the MERLD diagnosis is no longer in the DSM, but it's not like that is some kind of reflection that it was never real. MERLD is now under a broader category called "communication disorder.". MERLD can encompass a very wide range of skills and ability. Some kids diagnosed with MERLD are pushed into autism programs on the theory that the degree of lack of communication is the same so the autism program envirknment might work. Other kids have MERLD but have more funvtional language skills and may timately be categorized with specificlearning disabilty but this doesn't usuall happen hntil kids reach 7 or 8 by which time the expectation to read and write is strong.

Also

It wasn't the 70s, and overcrowding was what the parents who were slated for Bethesda Elementary told me. It a few years ago and it was not a re-zoning issue; they were slated for Bethesda Elementary and lived within that school's boundary.

Secondly, a kid with MERLD won't be coded with "communication disorder," for an IEP simply b/c MCPS doesn't have that. They have "04 Speech/Language Impairment" which is basically stuttering or other fluency issue,

"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, defines the term “speech or language impairment” as follows:
(11) Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” [34 CFR §300.8(c)(11]"

I already mentioned that a kid would need to be older to test into the Specific Learning Disability. So stop babbling about the range of what MERLD-diagnosed kids have. It has nothing to that. It has to do with what codes are available to the OP: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/ims/support/IEP_Disability_Codes.pdf

MCPS SLP here. A child who has MERLD, or the current equivalent, would typically be coded as Speech/Language Impairment in MCPS unless the child has significant academic disabilities (which may or may not be related to the language) and qualifies for a code of SLD. We all have different terms to mean generally the same concepts-One district might use communication disorder, another speech or language disability, etc.

But the OP's child would almost certainly be coded as Developmental Delay, due to their age and the fact that they have an "equivalent" code already for DD.

Hi SLP! OP here, thanks for your input. So, my son is 3.5, almost 4. He has sensory processing issues, and in the school setting it really impacts his ability to process information quick enough to respond/follow directions as quick as his peers. Its been described to me that there is a traffic jam in his head. He sees everything, hears everything, cant filter things out and then has to work very hard to process whats being said and done. Its mainly in the school setting that his happens but sometimes you will see it when hes excited at home or playing on the playground as well. He works hard to find the words. You can like see him searching for the words and then he will buy himself time by repeating a word over and over until he finds the right word. He used to stay silent when he couldnt find the word but hes learned to say "i dont know," "hmm" or just repeats (seems like hes stuttering) until he finally gets there. In preschool, he looks around for visual prompts and usually requires additional verbal prompts. Hes making progress from his ot and speech therapy, as well as from getting older and experiencing more. I can tell classroom support is important for him and I suspect it will continue to be. We shall see. Ive just been trying to gauge how the mcps system works in terms of things like this and if it has a good reputation in terms of services/teachers for kids like mine. I know its a big system so hard to know. We are targeting our home search in Rockville area. If you have any other pointers/recommendations/input please feel free to share with me