Reply to Does everyone walk out of an IEP meeting feeling like crap?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]So I definitely felt a little guilty (maybe a lot?) when I got the first IEP.  Because I knew that I had done it in part because I am trained to interpret laws and regulations, and make very strong arguments.  And I also knew that I had done it in part to cope with a bad school that we had previously enrolled in.  I also felt surprised at the amount of services that we got (10 hrs push in special ed plus good related services) and I felt sorta, kinda, like I was "that mom" pathologizing her normal child.

At the end of the day I actually felt confident about my argument and like it was the right thing to do, but I felt guilty that I got something via my personal skills, that other equally needy parents don't.  This is one reason I try to chime in on this board to share wisdom!

Also as time has gone by, I feel like I was very smart and prescient to get a strong IEP.  I truly believe it helped smooth the path for my DS, who is now really thriving academically and has not had behavioral issues.  But, I do still have residual guilt, because I have no doubt that similarly needy kids would not have gotten the same.

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Op again.  I don’t know the exact lingo for the program he is in. He’s going to be mainstreamed in an inclusive classroom but have a sped teacher with him (and three other kids) for about 5-6 hours per day.  I knew 2 hours was too little. I knew self-contained was not right either. This program was never told to me or offered to me. It was literally through hours of internet digging and then a call to the county sped coordinator to confirm it existed and there was space available.  I feel like I “found out” about their special little program and they are upset with me! [/quote]

Your experience about the secretive nature of programs is very common, and it has happened to me and many other parents I know.  It is one of the very worst aspects of MCPS, and it is one of the easiest things MCPS could change -- a public list every year of every single program, with a description of the program, age range, etc. as well MCPS ought to put out a public list of approved private placement schools, if necessary lumping them into 5 or 10 year groups so as to preserve privacy.

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This sort of secrecy is common in DC, too. The city does publish a list of programs, but it is not accurate and if you try to find out if certain programs are offered and where, you get the run around. Now, it could be that DCPS HQ employees themselves do not really know much about the programs, or the programs change so quickly that it is hard for them to be current on info. But jeez, either way it is really frustrating for a parent trying to advocate for the program that best fits your child![/quote]

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