IEP and rising AAP student

[Anonymous]

My son will attend an AAP center next year and I was wondering if anyone had experience and/or advice in navigating the system at an AAP center school? He has ADHD/is on the spectrum and his current IEP has 30 hours of instructional assistance. He had a very round first grade without an IEP but second grade has vastly improved with the IEP in place. We think the AAP curriculum will work well for his style of learning but have heard comments this week that special needs is not a priority at the center school and the school does what it can to limit support. We are putting next year's IEP into place at his current base school so that will be in his favor as he still could use a lot of assistance in third grade. I appreciate any advice.

[Anonymous]

Your child is 2E, and the AAP center must accommodate your DC. My older DC had a child in her class that sounds like your son. It took the aap center until 5th grade to get on board. They tried to push child back to base but the mom pushed back. I know this because the mom and I talked all the time and I directed het to Wrights Law so she would understand her child's rights.

[Anonymous]

If you think he needs the AAP curriculum then I would put him in AAP and do not let them tell you they can't support him. That's against the law. If they can support him at the base school, there's no reason they can't do the same at the center.

OTOH, if you are happy with the base school and aren't sure if he really *needs* the AAP curriculum, I would think about whether its worth fighting for what he needs vs the base school already giving him what he needs.

[Anonymous]

It really depends on the school. We found our LLIV programs was a better fit for our DC. However, not everyone has a decent LLIV to chose. Staying in a school that already "got" my DC was key. I would go and talk with the special ed department at the AAP center school and the Principal to see how they will handle your DC. Talk to your current school's special ed department and Principal too.

30 hours of IA is quite a bit. Was it one on one or was the IA also responsible for other students in the classroom?

[Anonymous]

Dumb question here: 30 hours out of what span?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dumb question here: 30 hours out of what span?

For perspective, my DC has 4 hours and that is for one core class (Language Arts/English). So 6 hours a day covers the entire school day minus lunch and recess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dumb question here: 30 hours out of what span?

The IEP hours usually refer to a week-long period. I cannot help, except to mention that I have a son who also has ADHD and autism, and was borderline for AAP. In the end, my fear for messing with a situation that was working, and where he was well supported in a small general education class caused me not to appeal (he was denied with borderline test scores and a 16 GBRS). My DS only gets 2.5 hours a week now, though I think it will be upped again next year. I do worry he will not get the challenge he needs at the base (no LLIV) but his emotional stability is most important to us right now. Food for thought.

[Anonymous]

Dumb question here: 30 hours out of what span?
The IEP hours usually refer to a week-long period. I cannot help, except to mention that I have a son who also has ADHD and autism, and was borderline for AAP. In the end, my fear for messing with a situation that was working, and where he was well supported in a small general education class caused me not to appeal (he was denied with borderline test scores and a 16 GBRS). My DS only gets 2.5 hours a week now, though I think it will be upped again next year. I do worry he will not get the challenge he needs at the base (no LLIV) but his emotional stability is most important to us right now. Food for thought.

Questioner here: So, that means this child pretty much has full time assistance in school? Thirty hours a week?

[Anonymous]

Thanks all for the feedback. We had planned to stay at the base school until we reviewed the different curriculum. It will work well for my son, especially the constant projects I keep hearing about that take place in 3rd grade. My son's creativity is off the chart and he often does his own elaborate projects. He has poor coping skills and often will go from 0 to 360 in anger. We have him in OT, speech and regular therapy on our own and have made really great strides this year. I don't think he needs 30 hours next year but definitely help with transitions and specials.

The 30 hours is over the course of the week. There is one teacher assigned along with an assistant. They rotate between my son's class in which there are three special needs kids and another class which has 4 special needs kids. The teacher and assistant manage all seven kids so it is not like there is just one person for him.

I will reach out to the special needs teachers at his new school this spring instead of waiting for the fall so we can be sure we are working together for him to succeed.

[Anonymous]

OP, we had a child in our AAP class that a full-time IA by his side. HE would get mad quick, and yell, but he excelled in AAP. The school tried to convince the mom to go back to base, but she declined. Once you are in AAP, you are in. They can't make you do anything. GL with your decision.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that feedback 12:18. I really think he will excel in the program too but just need to work on social skills/reactions. He is a sweet kid 95% of the time. It's just that 5% I fret about!

[Anonymous]

DC has experienced both the AAP center and LLIV (no IEP or special needs). When I asked DC was there any difference betw either classroom, the answer was "at the Center we wasted a lot of time because the teacher had to deal with crying or angry boys."

I'm afraid I just don't understand how people feel their kids who have emotional issues have the "right" to special attention both from an IEP and AAP. This is public education - the majority of the children get no special attention what so ever. Be happy that you get either an IEP or AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, we had a child in our AAP class that a full-time IA by his side. HE would get mad quick, and yell, but he excelled in AAP. The school tried to convince the mom to go back to base, but she declined. Once you are in AAP, you are in. They can't make you do anything. GL with your decision.

Often, the services the school can provide are based on staffing numbers. If no staffing exists, the school's hands are tied. At this point, you need to go higher up the sped chain to get your services from their pool of resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC has experienced both the AAP center and LLIV (no IEP or special needs). When I asked DC was there any difference betw either classroom, the answer was "at the Center we wasted a lot of time because the teacher had to deal with crying or angry boys."

I'm afraid I just don't understand how people feel their kids who have emotional issues have the "right" to special attention both from an IEP and AAP. This is public education - the majority of the children get no special attention what so ever. Be happy that you get either an IEP or AAP.

Fortunately, that's not the law. If an educational option (AAP) is offered in the school district, it must be offered to a student with a disability. It is public school. If you don't like it, shell out for private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, we had a child in our AAP class that a full-time IA by his side. HE would get mad quick, and yell, but he excelled in AAP. The school tried to convince the mom to go back to base, but she declined. Once you are in AAP, you are in. They can't make you do anything. GL with your decision.

Often, the services the school can provide are based on staffing numbers. If no staffing exists, the school's hands are tied. At this point, you need to go higher up the sped chain to get your services from their pool of resources.

This is the school administration's job. Not the parents.