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[quote=Anonymous]1. You need an attorney. An advocate isn't enough. Everything starts with the IEP. Are you getting enough services? Are they being implemented with fidelity? Is your child hitting goals? A neuropsych and psycho-educational assessment will help you a lot. If your child is not getting ahead, is it because DCPS isn't providing the services or is it because they can't? Big difference there. We didn't ask for placement up front. But we did end up forcing the school into a position where they simply couldn't provide what my son needed.

2. This process can take a long time because it's not easy to prove that DCPS cannot provide FAPE. Anyone who tells you this is quick, easy, cheap, or clean is lying. OSSE will not grant you that placement until DCPS, not you, proves they cannot provide FAPE. Just you or some advocate saying it's so won't get you far. Your kid needs to fail, basically. It's not fair, but I've never seen otherwise within DCPS proper.

3. Admission is heavily luck. Does your timing line up with the school having the space? The fit can be perfect but if the space isn't there, you're not getting in. Have AT LEAST three schools in mind in ranked order. Call the schools. Do tours if you can. Build relationships with admissions and ensure that they know your child's name and profile before the packet arrives.

4. OSSE will try to scare you out of the placement. Honestly, all they care about is not spending money. So they will tell you all sorts of garbage like "nobody gets in to that school" or "you may end up in a worse situation" or "the transition will be really difficult." My attorney was very good about telling OSSE to quit the BS.

5. The private schools are not just assessing your kid. They're assessing you. Be cordial and flexible, ask smart questions, and show that your child will have everything they need at home. There are a lot of people who want those spots, so make sure you show them that you are the kind of family they want at the school.

My attorney was Frances Shefter and I strongly recommend doing a consultation with her. At this point you may not even have a case, and she'll be very honest with you about that.  [/quote]

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