Reply to What to expect at FCPS Local Screening meeting for 1st grade HFA?

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[quote=Anonymous]When you say you were previously denied, when does that happen?  After initial local screening meeting?  After evaluations?  He was evaluated by ChildFind when he was 2.5 and they found delays in all 5 of their screening areas. He had zero language at that time and still couldn't roll back to tummy.   They sent us a "Parent-Infant Educator" for 1 hour/week.  I was not pleased with her, and was enrolling him in preschool anyway, so I told them I didn't want to continue services.

Preschool was kind of iffy.  Cognitively, he was fine. Socially, he was a mess.  Got the evaluation at age 5 summer before K with  a vague diagnosis of PDD-NOS.  I contacted principal spec ed  immediately, and they told me to call back in August.  I did that, as well as contacting counselor and then was blown off the entire school year.  I even contacted SLP because he'd had a significant language delay and his speech was still inarticulate.  She blew me off. K teacher insisted he interacted with others just fine, blah, blah, blah.

This year, I contacted counselor in August when I learned they had a new one, and told her my spiel and asked her to include him in any social groups.  She must have told principal because he called me at work to kind of smooth things over, I guess?  (Can you imagine the freaking out that happens when the caller ID shows it's the school and it's the principal on the other line).  He acted all surprised that I'd had a prior assessment and can I please send a copy to the school.  Fine.

The fall parent-teacher conferences came, and the teachers included the same SLP in the meeting and were all concerned that he doesn't talk to anyone, participate in class, interact with peers, is by himself on the playground, and flaps, etc.  I filled them in. SLP suddenly remembers speaking to me last year. SLP decided to evaluate DS for speech.

We met a month later with teachers, SLP, and counselor to discuss further concerns and speech related issues.  I asked if we were going to discuss referral to local screening, and they all kind of dismissed it and said, "He's so young..." Counselor spoke with me after and told me I could initiate if I wanted to.  After internet research and speaking with various Spec Ed teachers who showed me what services for an HFA/Asperger type might look like, it sounded like exactly what he needs, so I initiated.  I feel like the earlier we can intervene with building social skills, the better it will be.

I don't know how I can "prove" that he can't access the curriculum, because I'm not sure how much group work there might be in 1st grade.  But he can't and likely will not be able to collaborate with others.  He does not participate in many things because of his social anxiety.  He has sloppy handwriting, scribbles instead of colors, and kind of slacks on anything that does not interest him (which is everything except his perseveration).  His lowest grades are in PE.  I suspect it might have to do with his low muscle tone and inability to interact with the other kids.  Or maybe he's being a lazy brat.  I don't know.  He has encopresis and I was called to school 3 times to change him last year.  This year, it's been ok.  He has meltdowns at home, but never at school.  I can't imagine what that will look like.  When he feels threatened his defense looks like aggression.  I need the school to be aware of this and understand that this is a neurological and developmental disability.  PE needs to understand this and not penalize him for his inability to touch his toes.

Do they want to see him fail before they will evaluate?  I'm advocating to just have him EVALUATED at this point, right?[/quote]

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