SN "screening" meeting

[Anonymous]

We requested an IEP (second time) for my child, and the school has scheduled a "screening" meeting to determine if they should perform assessments. Can anyone tell me what I should expect and how I should prepare for this meeting?

Also, I'm curious if other people think this "screening" step is a ridiculous evasion of the law. They've basically added a month+ into the timeline by inserting a "screening" meeting rather than simply giving me the forms to approve assessment. It all seems ridiculous to me because he had a very expensive outside assessment done already, and I hear plenty of complaints from the teachers about how he's not participating in the curriculum, so now we're going to spend months talking about whether he needs assessments, and then presumably scheduling and doing assessments -- I don't see how they're going to be able to get anything in place before the end of the school year! The first time I asked for an IEP, they said we needed to wait to see if there was educational impact, so I waited, and there's plenty of educational impact demonstrated now, but they are making me start over at square one.

[Anonymous]

It's protocol.

[Anonymous]

Well you've already bypassed the first steps which is an EMT (there actually can be multiple). There need to have been interventions in place for a certain amount of time and time to see how the student responded to interventions. It's usually a minimum of 6 weeks.

There has to be documented evidence that your child has not been responding to intervention before they move to testing. That's what will be determined at the screening meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's protocol.

I don't understand what that means. Do you mean that it's just a meaningless bureaucratic step, so there's no real point preparing for it?

[Anonymous]

This is part of the IEP process and is part of the timeline allowed, so this is not a bad thing. At the meeting, there will be a lot of school staff including a psychologist who will look over your outside testing. From there, they will decide if they need more information. They might decide that they have everything the need (doubtful) or they might decide that they need some additional testing done to determine if your child will qualify. Outside testing does not guarantee anything. If they decided they need additional testing, you will sign off on what additional tests are needed. From the time of your screening meeting to your eligibility meeting it will need to be under 60 days. So, if your meeting is December 20th, the eligibility meeting has to be by Feb. 20th or so. Once the process is started, it does not take as long as you think- at least when your child is approved. It is an overwhelming process, so go in as prepared as you can with any supporting documents that will help the team decide!

[Anonymous]

Thanks. Should I bring his treating professionals to this meeting, or wait until the next one? Or just have them type something up?

I guess we've had "interventions" in place for a year and a half now...although no one ever called it that. I'm a little confused by this whole process. I first requested an IEP in spring of 2014, and went in with the outside assessment. They said "let's see if he has trouble next year. We can do all of this through regular "best practices" and unofficial accommodations in the classroom." Last year was rocky (especially outside the main classroom, as none of the other teachers had been involved in that initial discussion about his needs), and this year has been really quite awful. I asked (in writing) "can we revisit the IEP question." They said "You need to submit a written request," so I did. Everyone who meets him is shocked he doesn't have an IEP or at least a 504 in place. I guess I'm just feeling frustrated that this can't move more quickly. the idea of things going on for another 90+ days before we can get anything in place makes me want to crawl into a hole and die.

[Anonymous]

What school district?

[Anonymous]

And what age/grade is your child?

[Anonymous]

For DD when we met to decide if she needed testing etc. they started testing but they implemented a number of things right away while they were doing the testing. Now if they found her ineligible for an IEP those things would have gone away but she was eligible so the things that were working were made a permanent part of the IEP. So the IEP wasn't finished until December but she had a number of accommodations in October.

[Anonymous]

I totally hear your frustration! You know the climate of your school and what your outside testing shows. This meeting for some kids is a mere formality- they know the kid needs additional testing and just need to get it signed off on with the psychologist. If that is the case- you really don't need an advocate at this meeting. However, if your school is adversarial or your data might not CLEARLY show that there is an educational impact, then I would bring an advocate. The next meeting after this- eligibility- is where you will definitely want the advocate. That is when they look at the tests and agree/disagree to IEP. Your timeline has already started and includes winter break. It started the day that you put your request in writing, so at least that is one thing you don't have to worry about. Look at that date and add 3 months. By that day, everything will be over and hopefully you will have a nice IEP that provides the support your child needs to turn his/her year around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For DD when we met to decide if she needed testing etc. they started testing but they implemented a number of things right away while they were doing the testing. Now if they found her ineligible for an IEP those things would have gone away but she was eligible so the things that were working were made a permanent part of the IEP. So the IEP wasn't finished until December but she had a number of accommodations in October.

Thank you. That makes me feel a lot better. This is MCPS, 1st grade.

[Anonymous]

Does your child have a diagnosed disability? What was the reason they denied your initial request?

Why didn't you appeal the denial? I wonder if you still can appeal and get the process moving quicker that way? Maybe someone on here would know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We requested an IEP (second time) for my child, and the school has scheduled a "screening" meeting to determine if they should perform assessments. Can anyone tell me what I should expect and how I should prepare for this meeting?

Also, I'm curious if other people think this "screening" step is a ridiculous evasion of the law. They've basically added a month+ into the timeline by inserting a "screening" meeting rather than simply giving me the forms to approve assessment. It all seems ridiculous to me because he had a very expensive outside assessment done already, and I hear plenty of complaints from the teachers about how he's not participating in the curriculum, so now we're going to spend months talking about whether he needs assessments, and then presumably scheduling and doing assessments -- I don't see how they're going to be able to get anything in place before the end of the school year! The first time I asked for an IEP, they said we needed to wait to see if there was educational impact, so I waited, and there's plenty of educational impact demonstrated now, but they are making me start over at square one.

The timeline doesn't change. If you requested the testing in writing, then the clock started clicking on the day you handed it over and received you signed receipt. They will have fewer days to complete the evaluation.

A screening meeting is a standard part of the assessment process. It can be waived, but usually only when the disability is obvious, and pretty clearly delineated. For example, a student who stutters might go straight to a speech language evaluation. In most other circumstances, even if there's no disagreement about the evaluation, the team needs to meet to determine what diagnoses to consider, and which tests to give.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I totally hear your frustration! You know the climate of your school and what your outside testing shows. This meeting for some kids is a mere formality- they know the kid needs additional testing and just need to get it signed off on with the psychologist. If that is the case- you really don't need an advocate at this meeting. However, if your school is adversarial or your data might not CLEARLY show that there is an educational impact, then I would bring an advocate. The next meeting after this- eligibility- is where you will definitely want the advocate. That is when they look at the tests and agree/disagree to IEP. Your timeline has already started and includes winter break. It started the day that you put your request in writing, so at least that is one thing you don't have to worry about. Look at that date and add 3 months. By that day, everything will be over and hopefully you will have a nice IEP that provides the support your child needs to turn his/her year around.

This. Make it clear that waiting another 3 months will mean that almost the whole year has gone by without being able to access the curriculum, and that they need to fast forward.

[Anonymous]

Further, to my last reply if your child does have a disability, you may have an argument that while the school has delayed services your child has not had access to their education and there has been a denial of FAPE (free appropriate public education) Which depending on the denial could potentially entitle your child to an aware of compensatory education.