MCPS IEP when kid turns 8
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Anonymous
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Kid turning 7 in several weeks, and the IEP that we just got is good until next year. I just realized though that when kid turns 8, IEP requires a specific code, not "developmental delay."
Kid does have a diagnosed speech issue, so I think kid could keep an IEP next year when transferring to the "speech or language impairment" code, BUT kid is also getting services for reading and writing. So my question is... if we convert to the "speech or language impairment" code, would services for the reading and writing be at risk because that's not part of the code? TIA. |
Anonymous
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No. The services aren't supposed to be limited or dictated by the code.
But you should ask them what sort of evaluations they plan on doing for the triennial review. |
Anonymous
Kids with SLI coding can absolutely receive academic services. It sounds like and SLD coding (specific learning disability) might also be in consideration. A student with SLD can get speech therapy. |
Anonymous
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Make sure they assess all areas of suspected deficit, so you get services in all those areas.
They are supposed to give the code that best describes the primary deficit, so if your child's reading trouble affects his school work more than than the speech problem, he might get the Learning Disability code. But services should be the same in either case. |
Anonymous
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OP here. Phew, what a relief.
I should ask though since all three of you mentioned evaluation/assessment. Kid had the three-year review last year and got speech only for this academic year. This year, I had to request the "re-evaluation planning" meeting in order to get the reading and writing services added, which is now the new IEP for next academic year. So next year, I thought that in theory a full re-evaluation wouldn't need to be conducted... unless MCPS needs it for a specific code? I wasn't anticipating needing to have my kid to go through tests and the like again. Does kid have to go through all the testing again before turning 8? Thanks again. |
Anonymous
I don't know about age but we just have speech diagnosis. We had to do a full battery of testing to get it. Our private SLP did most of it and we submitted it and the school supplemented with their own tests to prove academic need. It wasn't a huge amount of testing. |
Anonymous
If you just had your triennial, no they shouldn't need to, but they may want to if they have any questions or uncertainty about the eligiblity category (code). And depending on the nature of the reading/writing issue, you may at some point want them to go deeper and see if there is any specific learning disability that would warrant more specialized instruction in those areas. |
Anonymous
Not supposed to be, but they often are. OP, I agree with this PP and ask the school what would be planned for the next review. You may not get a straight answer, but it can't hurt to ask. I'm actually surprised that they haven't pressed you to change the DD IEP code. The public schools in general don't like to identify dyslexia or dysgraphia even though they reluctantly will provide remediation services for these things. MoCo took years to address our kid's dyslexia. I know parents who are still in the trenches, slogging it out at every IEP meeting to get and/or keep academic support services and other parents who give up, put their kid in a private school and get tutoring, or end up at Lab or Siena. If your kid is 8 and has trouble with organizational, writing, and reading tasks, I'd consider doing your own, private educational evaluation if you can swing it financially. From personal experience, I would not rely on the school being up front with me as to what my kid needs. |
Anonymous
| Developmental delay classification is only allowed until the child turns 7. Then you go through re-evaluation even if it has not been 3 years to continue to receive services under a new classification. There has to be a re-evaluation done to see if the child can continue to be eigible undet a new classification. So does your child have an SLI (speech only) IEP? They cannot be developmental delay after turning 7. |
Anonymous
This. We submitted our own and the school accepted it. If you have a lazy bunch it is easier for them to do this though some might give you a hard time about the validity of the testing. |
Anonymous
| Academic goals can only be included if there is evidence to support that their is a need. SLI should be the code only if the speech/language impairment best reflects the disorder that most impacts the child's needs. If reading and writing evaluations have not been completed, then they should be done to provide documentation that demonstrate that goals in those areas are needed. Elementary Schools in MCPS are notorious for keeping the SLI code as long as possible so that academic and psychological testing doesn't need to be done. Once the student gets to middle school, that won't fly. MS and HS SLPs will not allow academic goals unless there is evidence to support this. If there is evidence, it is very unlikely that SLI is the proper code. When was your last re-evaluation? At around the age of 8-9, it become clear that students who have the SLI code actually have a learning disability and additional goals are added along with the new code. |
Anonymous
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OP again. Thanks everyone.
The three-year re-eval was one year ago. Kid was 5 (almost 6) then. At that time, kid was declared to be not >1 year behind, so could not get reading services. Only got speech services. So this year, teacher says reading and writing behind, got private eval too, so now just minting the IEP for next school year that includes reading and writing services. I had hoped to minimize testing in the coming year and just do the periodic review next year, but sounds like I can't count on that, esp if kid is 7 (almost 8) at that time and about to lose the developmental delay code. I am starting reading/writing help for my kid this summer, but if kid has to be tested in a year, now I'm concerned that kid will make enough progress over the year that next year MCPS will say kid is not >1 year behind and therefore no services. Which is what happened to us the first time around, and why I had to do this whole re-eval process this year. <sigh> I feel like I can't win. |
Anonymous
What did your private evaluation say? |
Anonymous
| OP hey are writing the IEP now? What diagnosis do you have priivately? It makes no sense to give a 6 year old a new IEP with a DD classification; it can't be used for services past 7 years old. Your prior IEP was for SLI if it was speech only. If you have a diagnosis now then you should use another category for the new services while keeping speech as a related service or using 2 classifications. But do not bother with DD or you will need to go through a re-evaluation all over again next year which would be a total waste of time. |
Anonymous
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The private eval finds speech diagnosis only. As well as anxiety diagnosis. Some attentional issues, but no diagnosis. No specific learning diagnosis. (At this time.)
Because current MCPS staff believe that reading/writing issues are attributable to either anxiety or attention or both, I don't believe kid can transfer to a specific learning code next year. It would have to be speech code. I believe kid does have some deficit in the reading area, but it is not significant enough (yet) to be diagnosed as a formal learning issue. A smart kid, so I think kid is compensating for reading issues with pictures, etc, and I am concerned when moving into chapter books/no pictures that kid will fall further behind without support. Does that affect your perspectives? |