S/O Has your public school allowed private therapists to treat your child druing the school day?

[Anonymous]

We would love to have our private OT and SLP work with our child at school on a weekly or biweekly basis. Has anyone been successful in getting a school district to allow that in lieu of or in addition to the school service providers? How did you make it happen?

We've been allowed to have our private therapists come and observe a couple times a year and join IEP meetings but that's as far as we've gotten.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Not a chance. The school SLP will not even talk to the private SLP.

[Anonymous]

No. One thing they did allow is for DS to leave school a few minutes early so that he can make his 5 PM OT appointment.

[Anonymous]

Nope. We've had a major regression as a result.

[Anonymous]

Kids are older now and mostly resolved, but our public wouldn't allow it for ST or OT. Where it was an issue, I resorted to pulling one of my kids out for weekly OT appointments, but that was only for a few months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a chance. The school SLP will not even talk to the private SLP.

Wow.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all - someone on another thread said there was a law in MD requiring schools to allow this.

That hasn't been our experience -- wanted to see if I was alone.

[Anonymous]

There is an issue of where they would work with your child? The school can't provide office space. And what I'd something happened on campus while the private therapists were treating your child? Could the school be found liable? The logistics seem tricky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a chance. The school SLP will not even talk to the private SLP.

Wow.

She doesn't talk to us either and barely thinks there is an issue, when there is. We weren't allowed any input in the IEP. We gave up as we are in private speech as it wasn't worth arguing over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is an issue of where they would work with your child? The school can't provide office space. And what I'd something happened on campus while the private therapists were treating your child? Could the school be found liable? The logistics seem tricky.

This. It's totally preposterous to think that a school would allow a non-staff member to work with your child during the school day. Who would be responsible for ensuring that the child moves from the classroom to this office space that the school would have to provide? What happens during a fire drill? Who accounts for OP's kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an issue of where they would work with your child? The school can't provide office space. And what I'd something happened on campus while the private therapists were treating your child? Could the school be found liable? The logistics seem tricky.

This. It's totally preposterous to think that a school would allow a non-staff member to work with your child during the school day. Who would be responsible for ensuring that the child moves from the classroom to this office space that the school would have to provide? What happens during a fire drill? Who accounts for OP's kid?

Whatever. These concerns are excuses. They could make it work if they actually cared about what was best for the child. They allow volunteers; why not professionals?

Our private ST has been going into our private school for years. The therapist is an adult with a brain so when they evacuated, just this week, due to a bomb threat, she followed everyone out of the building and kept DS with her until she found his class. Then she helped with all the kids because she couldn't leave anyway.

The school staff love her and value her input.

[Anonymous]

Volunteers do not work one one one with kids outside the classroom.

They make copies, come in and read stories to kids, help with library books, etc.

What you are asking for makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an issue of where they would work with your child? The school can't provide office space. And what I'd something happened on campus while the private therapists were treating your child? Could the school be found liable? The logistics seem tricky.

This. It's totally preposterous to think that a school would allow a non-staff member to work with your child during the school day. Who would be responsible for ensuring that the child moves from the classroom to this office space that the school would have to provide? What happens during a fire drill? Who accounts for OP's kid?

Whatever. These concerns are excuses. They could make it work if they actually cared about what was best for the child. They allow volunteers; why not professionals?

Our private ST has been going into our private school for years. The therapist is an adult with a brain so when they evacuated, just this week, due to a bomb threat, she followed everyone out of the building and kept DS with her until she found his class. Then she helped with all the kids because she couldn't leave anyway.

The school staff love her and value her input.

Don't be ridiculous. Liability laws aren't just made up on the spot. A private school has more discretion as to whom they allow on campus and probably have more space available. Have you been to a public school recently? They are incredibly over crowded. There aren't empty offices sitting around. Get a grip and get out of your bubble.

[Anonymous]

Creative Minds has the space and has a slew of professionals they contract with. It will not allow private therapists even with the therapists having their own liability insurance and parent signing a waiver of liability. It is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

I think there's another issue.

If a child needs services in a public school, the school is on the hook to provide them via an IEP or occasionally a 504 plan.

If the school is not providing those services, but makes provisions for a private therapist to do it, couldn't it help a parent make the case down the road that the school wasn't providing FAPE?