Denied evaluation for autism spectrum child at FCPS. Now what?

[Anonymous]

Op, you also might want to check out the wrightslaw.com website. Lots of useful information as you continue to navigate these waters. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

"No one is saying the teacher should instruct differently, and I'm not sure why you might be under the impression that that's what an IEP is for."




Of course the purpose of an IEP is not simply to create different instruction; I was viewing this within the context of your child and the situation as you have presented it. As I understand it, your child is meeting academic benchmarks (albeit 1st grade level) but you want an IEP to change the supports he is receiving. Understood. And indeed, you want the instruction your child receives to be changed to address the concerns you have regarding behavior, social skills, and other areas that he currently does not receive support for. Is that correct?

Just trying to provide some clarity. As a parent of a SN child who is well versed with the "red tape" that is the special education system in our public schools, it would be easy for me to say "You're right," but I found the only thing that helped me navigate the system was to understand how schools view disabilities and as well as the supports provided to some students but not to all.

OP, I know you linked to a previous post earlier in this thread, but it was somewhat confusing to read back though all the posts...does your child have an Autism diagnosis? A medical diagnosis, perhaps?

NP. It's obvious by a long shot that you don't have an child with ASD and the fact that you keep questioning the need for supports under the guise of "clarity" is obnoxious and not helpful at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"No one is saying the teacher should instruct differently, and I'm not sure why you might be under the impression that that's what an IEP is for."

Of course the purpose of an IEP is not simply to create different instruction; I was viewing this within the context of your child and the situation as you have presented it. As I understand it, your child is meeting academic benchmarks (albeit 1st grade level) but you want an IEP to change the supports he is receiving. Understood. And indeed, you want the instruction your child receives to be changed to address the concerns you have regarding behavior, social skills, and other areas that he currently does not receive support for. Is that correct?

Just trying to provide some clarity. As a parent of a SN child who is well versed with the "red tape" that is the special education system in our public schools, it would be easy for me to say "You're right," but I found the only thing that helped me navigate the system was to understand how schools view disabilities and as well as the supports provided to some students but not to all.

OP, I know you linked to a previous post earlier in this thread, but it was somewhat confusing to read back though all the posts...does your child have an Autism diagnosis? A medical diagnosis, perhaps?

NP. It's obvious by a long shot that you don't have an child with ASD and the fact that you keep questioning the need for supports under the guise of "clarity" is obnoxious and not helpful at all.




__________________________________________________________
One thing I've learned while negotiating all this nonsense in our educational system is that every support, no matter how restrictive, must be justified--and that stands whether it is the school presenting it or the parents. As parent's we want the absolute best for our children, of course. Unbelievably, the law says our children are entitled to no more than what would allow them to partake in the curriculum just as NT and/or "non-disabled" peers do. I never stopped fighting for more for my child, but the sooner I viewed things within this context, the sooner I learned to negotiate the system. A parent's desire for their child to have the best services available simply isn't enough in the eyes of the school, and by questioning I'm trying to better understand why OP wants something. You can go through life labeling anyone who questions you as "obnoxious," but in addition to being a piss-poor attitude, it's just not realistic.

And yes, you are correct, my child is not on the spectrum. TBI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"No one is saying the teacher should instruct differently, and I'm not sure why you might be under the impression that that's what an IEP is for."

Of course the purpose of an IEP is not simply to create different instruction; I was viewing this within the context of your child and the situation as you have presented it. As I understand it, your child is meeting academic benchmarks (albeit 1st grade level) but you want an IEP to change the supports he is receiving. Understood. And indeed, you want the instruction your child receives to be changed to address the concerns you have regarding behavior, social skills, and other areas that he currently does not receive support for. Is that correct?

Just trying to provide some clarity. As a parent of a SN child who is well versed with the "red tape" that is the special education system in our public schools, it would be easy for me to say "You're right," but I found the only thing that helped me navigate the system was to understand how schools view disabilities and as well as the supports provided to some students but not to all.

OP, I know you linked to a previous post earlier in this thread, but it was somewhat confusing to read back though all the posts...does your child have an Autism diagnosis? A medical diagnosis, perhaps?

NP. It's obvious by a long shot that you don't have an child with ASD and the fact that you keep questioning the need for supports under the guise of "clarity" is obnoxious and not helpful at all.




__________________________________________________________
One thing I've learned while negotiating all this nonsense in our educational system is that every support, no matter how restrictive, must be justified--and that stands whether it is the school presenting it or the parents. As parent's we want the absolute best for our children, of course. Unbelievably, the law says our children are entitled to no more than what would allow them to partake in the curriculum just as NT and/or "non-disabled" peers do. I never stopped fighting for more for my child, but the sooner I viewed things within this context, the sooner I learned to negotiate the system. A parent's desire for their child to have the best services available simply isn't enough in the eyes of the school, and by questioning I'm trying to better understand why OP wants something. You can go through life labeling anyone who questions you as "obnoxious," but in addition to being a piss-poor attitude, it's just not realistic.

And yes, you are correct, my child is not on the spectrum. TBI.

Since your child is not on the spectrum, why don't you start your own thread about how to get the best services for your child's issue instead of being incredibly obtuse and obnoxious and questioning another SN parent with a child with ASD - an issue that has nothing to do with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"No one is saying the teacher should instruct differently, and I'm not sure why you might be under the impression that that's what an IEP is for."

Of course the purpose of an IEP is not simply to create different instruction; I was viewing this within the context of your child and the situation as you have presented it. As I understand it, your child is meeting academic benchmarks (albeit 1st grade level) but you want an IEP to change the supports he is receiving. Understood. And indeed, you want the instruction your child receives to be changed to address the concerns you have regarding behavior, social skills, and other areas that he currently does not receive support for. Is that correct?

Just trying to provide some clarity. As a parent of a SN child who is well versed with the "red tape" that is the special education system in our public schools, it would be easy for me to say "You're right," but I found the only thing that helped me navigate the system was to understand how schools view disabilities and as well as the supports provided to some students but not to all.

OP, I know you linked to a previous post earlier in this thread, but it was somewhat confusing to read back though all the posts...does your child have an Autism diagnosis? A medical diagnosis, perhaps?

NP. It's obvious by a long shot that you don't have an child with ASD and the fact that you keep questioning the need for supports under the guise of "clarity" is obnoxious and not helpful at all.

__________________________________________________________
One thing I've learned while negotiating all this nonsense in our educational system is that every support, no matter how restrictive, must be justified--and that stands whether it is the school presenting it or the parents. As parent's we want the absolute best for our children, of course. Unbelievably, the law says our children are entitled to no more than what would allow them to partake in the curriculum just as NT and/or "non-disabled" peers do. I never stopped fighting for more for my child, but the sooner I viewed things within this context, the sooner I learned to negotiate the system. A parent's desire for their child to have the best services available simply isn't enough in the eyes of the school, and by questioning I'm trying to better understand why OP wants something. You can go through life labeling anyone who questions you as "obnoxious," but in addition to being a piss-poor attitude, it's just not realistic.

And yes, you are correct, my child is not on the spectrum. TBI.

Since your child is not on the spectrum, why don't you start your own thread about how to get the best services for your child's issue instead of being incredibly obtuse and obnoxious and questioning another SN parent with a child with ASD - an issue that has nothing to do with you.




This is an anonymous forum that is open to anyone. Good luck policing the internet.

And whether or not you like it, there is a difference between "best services" and "getting services." I may not know a thing about the best services for a child on the spectrum or I may know everything about them. Either way, I know a thing or two about "getting services"--no matter what disability we are discussing. You can welcome constructive feedback or view it as "obnoxious" questioning...I don't care. The bottom line is we all discuss these things in an open forum because we may gain insight that may empower us when fighting for our own kids.

We're all SN parents--except when it comes to discussing ASD, right? You're a hypocrite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"No one is saying the teacher should instruct differently, and I'm not sure why you might be under the impression that that's what an IEP is for."

Of course the purpose of an IEP is not simply to create different instruction; I was viewing this within the context of your child and the situation as you have presented it. As I understand it, your child is meeting academic benchmarks (albeit 1st grade level) but you want an IEP to change the supports he is receiving. Understood. And indeed, you want the instruction your child receives to be changed to address the concerns you have regarding behavior, social skills, and other areas that he currently does not receive support for. Is that correct?

Just trying to provide some clarity. As a parent of a SN child who is well versed with the "red tape" that is the special education system in our public schools, it would be easy for me to say "You're right," but I found the only thing that helped me navigate the system was to understand how schools view disabilities and as well as the supports provided to some students but not to all.

OP, I know you linked to a previous post earlier in this thread, but it was somewhat confusing to read back though all the posts...does your child have an Autism diagnosis? A medical diagnosis, perhaps?

NP. It's obvious by a long shot that you don't have an child with ASD and the fact that you keep questioning the need for supports under the guise of "clarity" is obnoxious and not helpful at all.

__________________________________________________________
One thing I've learned while negotiating all this nonsense in our educational system is that every support, no matter how restrictive, must be justified--and that stands whether it is the school presenting it or the parents. As parent's we want the absolute best for our children, of course. Unbelievably, the law says our children are entitled to no more than what would allow them to partake in the curriculum just as NT and/or "non-disabled" peers do. I never stopped fighting for more for my child, but the sooner I viewed things within this context, the sooner I learned to negotiate the system. A parent's desire for their child to have the best services available simply isn't enough in the eyes of the school, and by questioning I'm trying to better understand why OP wants something. You can go through life labeling anyone who questions you as "obnoxious," but in addition to being a piss-poor attitude, it's just not realistic.

And yes, you are correct, my child is not on the spectrum. TBI.

Since your child is not on the spectrum, why don't you start your own thread about how to get the best services for your child's issue instead of being incredibly obtuse and obnoxious and questioning another SN parent with a child with ASD - an issue that has nothing to do with you.




This is an anonymous forum that is open to anyone. Good luck policing the internet.

And whether or not you like it, there is a difference between "best services" and "getting services." I may not know a thing about the best services for a child on the spectrum or I may know everything about them. Either way, I know a thing or two about "getting services"--no matter what disability we are discussing. You can welcome constructive feedback or view it as "obnoxious" questioning...I don't care. The bottom line is we all discuss these things in an open forum because we may gain insight that may empower us when fighting for our own kids.

We're all SN parents--except when it comes to discussing ASD, right? You're a hypocrite.

So what constructive feedback have you provided other than saying you agree with the school for not evaluating OP's child b/c he meets benchmarks?

[Anonymous]

^ "constructive feedback" should be in quotes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, he has an ASD diagnosis from just before entry to K. He also has a background with Child Find and receiving their services, which we halted as soon as he entered a mainstream preschool and finally developed language (at nearly 3 yrs).

I also struggle to balance the view of the school (not the school system) and my own. But the issue isn't even yet at IEP. Just for evaluation. If I homeschooled or had him in private school, FCPS or maybe even the base school would have to do the evaluation. This is not debatable. He has a documented and recognized diagnosis... figure out the impact. A DRA score is not sufficient.

OP, since your son had an ASD disability from before entry to K, didn't he have an age-6 reevaluation? I do not understand why the evaluations consistent with this disability were not included in the age-6 reevaluation...

[Anonymous]

"We're all SN parents--except when it comes to discussing ASD, right? You're a hypocrite."

I agree. My daughter is SN but not ASD. I follow this board regularly and always find the views of other parents of SN children very helpful. Stop with the finger-pointing and negativity, we are all fighting the same battle!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, he has an ASD diagnosis from just before entry to K. He also has a background with Child Find and receiving their services, which we halted as soon as he entered a mainstream preschool and finally developed language (at nearly 3 yrs).

I also struggle to balance the view of the school (not the school system) and my own. But the issue isn't even yet at IEP. Just for evaluation. If I homeschooled or had him in private school, FCPS or maybe even the base school would have to do the evaluation. This is not debatable. He has a documented and recognized diagnosis... figure out the impact. A DRA score is not sufficient.

OP, since your son had an ASD disability from before entry to K, didn't he have an age-6 reevaluation? I do not understand why the evaluations consistent with this disability were not included in the age-6 reevaluation...

Not OP, but there would only be an age 6 eval if the school had also evaluated him at age 3. He did not attend the school at 3. The time period for evaluations is every 3 yrs which is a moot point with OP since the school had refused to evaluate at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
__________________________________________________________
One thing I've learned while negotiating all this nonsense in our educational system is that every support, no matter how restrictive, must be justified--and that stands whether it is the school presenting it or the parents. As parent's we want the absolute best for our children, of course. Unbelievably, the law says our children are entitled to no more than what would allow them to partake in the curriculum just as NT and/or "non-disabled" peers do. I never stopped fighting for more for my child, but the sooner I viewed things within this context, the sooner I learned to negotiate the system. A parent's desire for their child to have the best services available simply isn't enough in the eyes of the school, and by questioning I'm trying to better understand why OP wants something.

OP here- I value your perspective and I think this comment is helpful. It is important to understand "the other side" in order to, as you stated, better negotiate the system. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
__________________________________________________________
One thing I've learned while negotiating all this nonsense in our educational system is that every support, no matter how restrictive, must be justified--and that stands whether it is the school presenting it or the parents. As parent's we want the absolute best for our children, of course. Unbelievably, the law says our children are entitled to no more than what would allow them to partake in the curriculum just as NT and/or "non-disabled" peers do. I never stopped fighting for more for my child, but the sooner I viewed things within this context, the sooner I learned to negotiate the system. A parent's desire for their child to have the best services available simply isn't enough in the eyes of the school, and by questioning I'm trying to better understand why OP wants something.

OP here- I value your perspective and I think this comment is helpful. It is important to understand "the other side" in order to, as you stated, better negotiate the system. Thank you.

Hey, if there is some small way I can help a fellow SN parent then I know we are all better off in the long run! You are obviously a parent who does her homework and who finds the best available resources for your son--just hang in there!. The bottom line, I have found, is to beat them at their own game.

[Anonymous]

"I was not referring to eligibility criteria for an IEP, I was referring to the OP's request for evaluation. As described, the school has no reason to evaluate because the child is progressing academically. "

Once again pp, the subjective opinion that a child is making academic progress is not sufficient reason to deny an evaluation. Schools do not win when they argue this. Which school system do you work for?

[Anonymous]

I haven't read the previous pages, so I apologize in advance. As a special ed teacher, I can tell you a few things that might not have been mentioned yet:

1: Your child needs to be found eligible for special services because of a delay that causes "educational impact." He could be completely non-verbal, deaf, blind, whatever, but still functioning on grade level. He would not get services for that.

2: We won't test your child if classroom test scores show that everything is ok.

That being said, if you take him to a private doctor, on your dime, and the doctor makes a recommendation, it's a little hard for a special ed department chair to ignore that. They may re-test at school to try to prove that things are different at school. (We've had kids come in with recommendations for equipment that is usually used for a specific disability. When we test for that disability and find that it doesn't exist, we can't find them eligible for services. We can, however, find them eligible under a 504 plan for accommodations for that device).

With regards to a 1:1 aide, that's probably not going to happen. I would say "never," but stranger things have happened. Your child would need to have some severe special needs to get any kind of a paraprofessional in his classroom working solely with him. I have students with g-tubes and self-injurious behaviors who share the paraprofessional in their classroom.

I would start with a speech pathologist because it seems as though you're worried about social skills. See if a private speech pathologist could make a recommendation about the need for speech and "language" within the school. You may be able to get an IEP for that, if there's a delay in any area (receptive, expressive, articulation, pragmatics). But, again, it has to be educationally impactive. If he doesn't care about talking to other kids, and that's not impacting his education, then he won't get services. Under all of the "basis for committee decision" pages for ALL disabilities, we have to answer "yes" for an educational impact and explain what the impact is.

I would seriously look into community programs like those sponsored by Parktakes to work on socialization outside of school. I find that my students who are enrolled in those programs, even if they have tons of services in school, do MUCH better. They are able to generalize their social skills better when they know it's expected inside and outside of the classroom.

[Anonymous]

"2: We won't test your child if classroom test scores show that everything is ok. "

Absolute hogwash. Classroom test scores are not an indicator that "everything is ok". They are not a valid reason to deny eligibility testing.

At a young age, classroom tests are insufficient and fairly meaningless at indicating if there are disabilities. This is why many children are diagnosed around grade 4 as academic demands increase.

School staff often repeat this because it seems logical to them. School tests are not the limit test required to determine if eligibility testing is needed. You show that you understand very little about disabilities.

Have you read any of the prior posts where this was explained in reference to IDEA?

I am a mom who has a child who has had an IAEP for over a decade and his classroom test scores looked fine.

This is the same crap that has been spewed elsewhere on this thread and elsewhere on the internet works on parents who don't know their rights.

You are wrong.

It is absolutely frustrating to see yet another educator, specifically a special education teacher, repeat this incorrect information.

A parent can MAKE the school system test the child and if the parent disagrees with the results of the testing, the parent can ask for an IEE,independent education evaluation, ON THE SCHOOL'S DIME.

The suggestion to look into community programs like Parktakes is a joke.