Reply to DCUM SN community, I need your advice!

Forum Index » Kids With Special Needs and Disabilities

Reply to "DCUM SN community, I need your advice!"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I just posted about my 8 year old who once was diagnosed with MERLD and now is diagnosed with ADHD and a LD. My child does also have dyspraxia, incidentally.

The constant language versus autism battle that you people start up on EVERY THREAD has really got to stop. We are all sick of it![/quote]

NP.  Also parent to a child initially diagnosed with MERLD and later diagnosed with ADHD and LDs (dysgraphia but also likely "stealth dyslexia" never diagnosed due to high IQ compensation) as well as slow processing speed and executive dysfunction, dyspraxia and phonological disorder and a lisp and extremely (bottom 1% in social/pragmatic communication scores).  DC clearly has language processing problems.  Probably also still qualifies for MERLD.  Despite the plethora of poor language and social communication scores, absolutely is not autistic.

The problem with poor early language is that it makes it VERY difficult to figure out what is really going on.  Is it just language or is it something else or something in addition? Sometimes it takes time for the problems to clarify.  Meanwhile, I would try to avoid restrictive environments unless clearly necessary.

BTW, it is illegal for a school to place you in a self-contained classroom because nothing is available in a less restrictive environment.  Schools have a legal obligation to place kids in the "least restrictive environment."  (called "LRE").  "Space is not available" is not a legally acceptable defense to not placing a child in an LRE.  There are many lawsuits every year by parents challenging what the LRE is.

The determination that the IEP team MUST use is 1) what does the child need and 2) how can we provide that?

It is not "what do we have available".

If the team decides that what DC needs is only available in a self-contained classroom, then that is a different issue.  But, you can still challenge that.

See if you can get the team on the record agreeing with you that the inclusive classroom would be appropriate, but denying you on the basis of space availability.  If you can do that, you can challenge the team's decision in a number of ways (not all of which include hiring a lawyer and filing suit).

Ways to document this are -- if somebody in the process said something to you about the inclusive classroom, email back and "check-in" restate whatever they said/you said that seems to indicate that the inclusive classroom would be appropriate but that there's no space available, inquire again if anything has changed in terms of space.  Or, inform the team you will be taping at the IEP meeting.  Most counties allow this and it's easy to do on a smartphone or tablet.

Again, placing in the LRE is mandatory, unless the parents consent to something else, or unless the school can show that the LRE is not "appropriate" because it will not provide the "special instruction" necessary to advance the child's skill level.  [/quote]

Just curious how autism was ruled out, when your child had language delays "bottom 1%" social/pragmatic communication & dyspraxia?  Was it just the lack of repetitive behaviors, and where did you go for the autism assessment?  [/quote]

I was wondering the same. How did they test the social pragmatics?
[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics