How Can We Speed Up the Process of Getting a Dedicated Aide in DC?

[Anonymous]

My son needs a dedicated aide for safety reasons. He attends a DC public school. The school has told me the process of getting a dedicated aide is long and they don't want to even start it until the fall. Has anyone had any success speeding up the process and how?

[Anonymous]

I'm assuming he already has an IEP, so ask for a periodic review. The process is long which is more reason to start it now so the aide is in place for the first day of school next year.

[Anonymous]

Agree call an IEP meeting. Since school is already messaging that the process is "long" and delaying (won't start until fall) I would strongly consider hiring an advocate who has a track record of success with DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I am very familiar with the DC process for getting a dedicated aide. Like the above posters said you need to request an IEP meeting, ASAP. At the meeting, request a dedicated aide when they say no, ask for the following assessments:

functional behavior assessment
occupational therapy assessment
educational assessment
neuro-psych assessment
assistive technology assessment

Insist on all of the above assessments, if they say no. Simply say I want IEEs for all of the above assessments. When the assessments are complete you will have enough data to warrant a dedicated aide. I'm a former SPED chair for a local school system and I have had many dealings with DCPS -- their antics are often illegal. They will cave in and provide what your child needs if you demand the above assessments - they will claim not enough data to warrant dedicated aide and the aforementioned assessments will give you the data you need.


FBA - DCPS will complete
Neuro-psych - William Stixrud... This fella is amazing!
Assistive technology: Phoenix, Out of the Box Accessibility Solutions or L3 (if they still exist)
Educational - Weinfeld GroupOT - Phoenix or Connaboy

[Anonymous]

Thank you to everyone who replied. Really appreciate all of this feedback.

Yes, my son already has an IEP and he has had most of those assessments. He's lacking the functional behavioral assessment and that's what they want to start with in the fall. My issue is that my son has several safety issues (the biggest one is that he tries to escape the classroom/school staff) that someone needs to be dedicated to him. If we wait until to the fall to start the process, it could be too late. For various safety reasons, I've had even thought about pulling him out altogether until I found out you could get a dedicated aide for safety concerns.

How do I find an advocate?

[Anonymous]

Have you put the request in writing? If not, send at least an email so the request is dated. If there have been any recent eloping issues, submit that info along with your request. That is new info that they have to consider.

I don't believe they are allowed to delay a request for testing once they receive a request in writing. They have a specified amount of time to complete it.

[Anonymous]

Definitely formally request the FBA today. DCPS allows longer response time than Md and Va.

That said our very good charter doesn't really have dedicated aides and here is a kid in another class that does this kind of things they may suggest other ways to address h bejahaviorz. The FBA should help identify hose, whatever they may be.

Excuse typos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely formally request the FBA today. DCPS allows longer response time than Md and Va.

That said our very good charter doesn't really have dedicated aides and here is a kid in another class that does this kind of things they may suggest other ways to address h bejahaviorz. The FBA should help identify hose, whatever they may be.

Excuse typos.

If a kid needs one, the charter school would have to provide one. "We don't have one" is not an excuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely formally request the FBA today. DCPS allows longer response time than Md and Va.

That said our very good charter doesn't really have dedicated aides and here is a kid in another class that does this kind of things they may suggest other ways to address h bejahaviorz. The FBA should help identify hose, whatever they may be.

Excuse typos.

If a kid needs one, the charter school would have to provide one. "We don't have one" is not an excuse.

+1.

[Anonymous]

I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

I agree. My DS tried to run out of the classroom and school building several times this year and would scratch and kick anyone who tried to hold him in. He had an FBA and a behavioral intervention plan and no longer does this.

Getting an FBA will not get you an aide to stop elopement. The next step after a FBA is a behavior plan to improve behavior. At our charter, if the behavioral plan does not improve behavior, the next step is private placement at a SN school not a dedicated aide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

I agree. My DS tried to run out of the classroom and school building several times this year and would scratch and kick anyone who tried to hold him in. He had an FBA and a behavioral intervention plan and no longer does this.

Getting an FBA will not get you an aide to stop elopement. The next step after a FBA is a behavior plan to improve behavior. At our charter, if the behavioral plan does not improve behavior, the next step is private placement at a SN school not a dedicated aide.

And that is blatantly illegal. The law says that the appropriate placement is the least restrictive environment, with whatever supports are necessary. There are, of course, issues and conditions that cannot be fixed by having a dedicated aide and where a private placement would be appropriate. But to say categorically that a student must go to a dedicated SN school (by definition, not the least restrictive environment) instead of getting an aide that would allow success in the general education community (the least restrictive environment) is illegal.

Plus, not all kids need a dedicated aid because of behavior. Some might need one because of medical issues -- i.e. seizures or needing mobility assistance -- and going to a SN school instead of getting that aide would be inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

I agree. My DS tried to run out of the classroom and school building several times this year and would scratch and kick anyone who tried to hold him in. He had an FBA and a behavioral intervention plan and no longer does this.

Getting an FBA will not get you an aide to stop elopement. The next step after a FBA is a behavior plan to improve behavior. At our charter, if the behavioral plan does not improve behavior, the next step is private placement at a SN school not a dedicated aide.

And that is blatantly illegal. The law says that the appropriate placement is the least restrictive environment, with whatever supports are necessary. There are, of course, issues and conditions that cannot be fixed by having a dedicated aide and where a private placement would be appropriate. But to say categorically that a student must go to a dedicated SN school (by definition, not the least restrictive environment) instead of getting an aide that would allow success in the general education community (the least restrictive environment) is illegal.

Plus, not all kids need a dedicated aid because of behavior. Some might need one because of medical issues -- i.e. seizures or needing mobility assistance -- and going to a SN school instead of getting that aide would be inappropriate.

But we are talking about getting an aide solely for behavior/elopement. Private SN placement instead of an aide isn't illegal if the behavior endangers the kid and others. The school can argue that in these cases, the LRE is a school that has the type of security and personnel that can deal with these types of behaviors. I don't know if pp and we are at the same charter but no one at our highly regarded charter has a dedicated aide. Also, I was told by our charter that they would have no problem recommending us for private funding for SN school and we would not have had to go through due process if DS's behavior did not improve after the FBA.

Get the FBA. Hopefully getting a behavior plan will stop the running. If it does not, ask for the aide, maybe it's easier to get an aide in DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

I agree. My DS tried to run out of the classroom and school building several times this year and would scratch and kick anyone who tried to hold him in. He had an FBA and a behavioral intervention plan and no longer does this.

Getting an FBA will not get you an aide to stop elopement. The next step after a FBA is a behavior plan to improve behavior. At our charter, if the behavioral plan does not improve behavior, the next step is private placement at a SN school not a dedicated aide.

And that is blatantly illegal. The law says that the appropriate placement is the least restrictive environment, with whatever supports are necessary. There are, of course, issues and conditions that cannot be fixed by having a dedicated aide and where a private placement would be appropriate. But to say categorically that a student must go to a dedicated SN school (by definition, not the least restrictive environment) instead of getting an aide that would allow success in the general education community (the least restrictive environment) is illegal.

Plus, not all kids need a dedicated aid because of behavior. Some might need one because of medical issues -- i.e. seizures or needing mobility assistance -- and going to a SN school instead of getting that aide would be inappropriate.

But we are talking about getting an aide solely for behavior/elopement. Private SN placement instead of an aide isn't illegal if the behavior endangers the kid and others. The school can argue that in these cases, the LRE is a school that has the type of security and personnel that can deal with these types of behaviors. I don't know if pp and we are at the same charter but no one at our highly regarded charter has a dedicated aide. Also, I was told by our charter that they would have no problem recommending us for private funding for SN school and we would not have had to go through due process if DS's behavior did not improve after the FBA.

Get the FBA. Hopefully getting a behavior plan will stop the running. If it does not, ask for the aide, maybe it's easier to get an aide in DCPS.

Private school placement isn't illegal if that's the only way to keep the kid safe/educate the kid. But it is illegal if, categorically, that's the go to solution without trying other things, such as a dedicated aide. The fact that no one in your charter has a dedicated aide merely suggests that either 1) the charter has other mechanisms that discourage kids with significant disabilities from attending (more significant than your kid with extremely high functioning autism) or 2) that it illegally kicks kids out who might be successful if an aide was provided.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just saying that is not really the way they handle things as far as I can tell. they are on top of it.

Mainly I am trying to tell OP she needs an FBA stat to try to dissipate the behaviors instead of going to a dedicated aide. See what I mean? Th only reason givin for the aid is running out the classroom. Let's try to addres that behavior!

I agree. My DS tried to run out of the classroom and school building several times this year and would scratch and kick anyone who tried to hold him in. He had an FBA and a behavioral intervention plan and no longer does this.

Getting an FBA will not get you an aide to stop elopement. The next step after a FBA is a behavior plan to improve behavior. At our charter, if the behavioral plan does not improve behavior, the next step is private placement at a SN school not a dedicated aide.

And that is blatantly illegal. The law says that the appropriate placement is the least restrictive environment, with whatever supports are necessary. There are, of course, issues and conditions that cannot be fixed by having a dedicated aide and where a private placement would be appropriate. But to say categorically that a student must go to a dedicated SN school (by definition, not the least restrictive environment) instead of getting an aide that would allow success in the general education community (the least restrictive environment) is illegal.

Plus, not all kids need a dedicated aid because of behavior. Some might need one because of medical issues -- i.e. seizures or needing mobility assistance -- and going to a SN school instead of getting that aide would be inappropriate.

But we are talking about getting an aide solely for behavior/elopement. Private SN placement instead of an aide isn't illegal if the behavior endangers the kid and others. The school can argue that in these cases, the LRE is a school that has the type of security and personnel that can deal with these types of behaviors. I don't know if pp and we are at the same charter but no one at our highly regarded charter has a dedicated aide. Also, I was told by our charter that they would have no problem recommending us for private funding for SN school and we would not have had to go through due process if DS's behavior did not improve after the FBA.

Get the FBA. Hopefully getting a behavior plan will stop the running. If it does not, ask for the aide, maybe it's easier to get an aide in DCPS.

Private school placement isn't illegal if that's the only way to keep the kid safe/educate the kid. But it is illegal if, categorically, that's the go to solution without trying other things, such as a dedicated aide. The fact that no one in your charter has a dedicated aide merely suggests that either 1) the charter has other mechanisms that discourage kids with significant disabilities from attending (more significant than your kid with extremely high functioning autism) or 2) that it illegally kicks kids out who might be successful if an aide was provided.

More than 2 scenarios. Many DC Charter schools are new and no parents of kids with significant special needs (e.g. ones that might need an aide) may have applied or enrolled -- as a SN parent I would be wary of going to a new school, charter or not.

Or they have found other ways to manage kids with SN short of a dedicated aide.

Just saying there could be many other reasons why no child in a particular charter has a dedicated aide without assuming that the school is doing something illegal.