Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 15:38     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't have the numbers at my fingertips but I thought I saw something once that showed numbers of students with IEPs for some states with the disability category. Very few with OHI/ADHD but lots of 504s.


Yeah, like I said hard sell:

https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1-in-5-Snapshot.Fin_.03142017.pdf

So pro tip to parents contemplating getting an iep--include the ADOS in your testing.


Nobody knows how many kids have learnining disabilities.

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/learning/conditioninfo/pages/risk.aspx

Non-pro tip. Listen to actual professionals, not anonymous internet posters giving "pro tips."
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 15:26     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This sounds so confusing and more complicated than it really needs to be. Have you thought about just letting the school complete their assessment and see what the results and recommendations are? If you are not in agreement, you have the ability to agree or disagree with the outcome. Try not to make everything a fight or a battle. I have found it more helpful to work with the school personnel, as opposed to working against them.


I agree. I think op is panicking b/c she has to fill out the GARs.


I think so too. Fill it out, see what happens, OP! Good luck!
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 15:25     Subject: Re:School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:FAPE is a federal law. Doesn't differ school to school.

Op, if you're still here. Since you asked for advice, fill out the GARS and get the ADOS done privately and submit results to the school.


Did someone contend that FAPE was not a federal law? Nope.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 14:41     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:This sounds so confusing and more complicated than it really needs to be. Have you thought about just letting the school complete their assessment and see what the results and recommendations are? If you are not in agreement, you have the ability to agree or disagree with the outcome. Try not to make everything a fight or a battle. I have found it more helpful to work with the school personnel, as opposed to working against them.


I agree. I think op is panicking b/c she has to fill out the GARs.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 14:00     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
This sounds so confusing and more complicated than it really needs to be. Have you thought about just letting the school complete their assessment and see what the results and recommendations are? If you are not in agreement, you have the ability to agree or disagree with the outcome. Try not to make everything a fight or a battle. I have found it more helpful to work with the school personnel, as opposed to working against them.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 13:57     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Doctors diagnose and schools identify (label). Labels can open the door to additional services. Certain labels get the school more funding for service providers (special educators, SLPs, etc.). Your child's IEP goals should be based on their individual needs and not necessarily depend on the label


The bolded has been said here a lot, but I've never seen evidence of it. In DCPS, at least, funding is by number of service hours, regardless of disability code.


Doctors don't give the labels, they give diagnoses. Schools determine the labels. Sometimes they follow professional recommendations but legally they don't have to.

Look at where SN funding goes by state or nationally. More kids are affected from dyslexia than autism, but there isn't money spent on evidence based interventions for dyslexia. How the money is spent is inequitable and unchecked.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 13:53     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't have the numbers at my fingertips but I thought I saw something once that showed numbers of students with IEPs for some states with the disability category. Very few with OHI/ADHD but lots of 504s.


Yeah, like I said hard sell:

https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1-in-5-Snapshot.Fin_.03142017.pdf

So pro tip to parents contemplating getting an iep--include the ADOS in your testing.


Even if they get an ADOS, and its not autism, someone like you will always scream ASD. It could be anything including a mental health issue. Depression generally looks very different in kids and is often diagnosed as something else and kids often exhibit behavioral issue. Child needs a full work up, which it sounds like there was and the conclusion was ADHD. So, instead of pushing for more expensive evaluations, the ADHD needs to be addressed and a behavioral plan, including looking at if it is a good classroom/teacher fit.


??? I'm not screaming ASD. By not getting the ADOS, you leave that door open for the school to fill in that void. Duh.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 13:51     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:Doctors diagnose and schools identify (label). Labels can open the door to additional services. Certain labels get the school more funding for service providers (special educators, SLPs, etc.). Your child's IEP goals should be based on their individual needs and not necessarily depend on the label


The bolded has been said here a lot, but I've never seen evidence of it. In DCPS, at least, funding is by number of service hours, regardless of disability code.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 13:51     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:Doctors diagnose and schools identify (label). Labels can open the door to additional services. Certain labels get the school more funding for service providers (special educators, SLPs, etc.). Your child's IEP goals should be based on their individual needs and not necessarily depend on the label


Labels have a powerful impact, depending on the label. Yes, it can get additional services, but it can also cause a lot of harm as people take labels seriously.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 13:49     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Doctors diagnose and schools identify (label). Labels can open the door to additional services. Certain labels get the school more funding for service providers (special educators, SLPs, etc.). Your child's IEP goals should be based on their individual needs and not necessarily depend on the label
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 13:31     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't have the numbers at my fingertips but I thought I saw something once that showed numbers of students with IEPs for some states with the disability category. Very few with OHI/ADHD but lots of 504s.


Yeah, like I said hard sell:

https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1-in-5-Snapshot.Fin_.03142017.pdf

So pro tip to parents contemplating getting an iep--include the ADOS in your testing.


Even if they get an ADOS, and its not autism, someone like you will always scream ASD. It could be anything including a mental health issue. Depression generally looks very different in kids and is often diagnosed as something else and kids often exhibit behavioral issue. Child needs a full work up, which it sounds like there was and the conclusion was ADHD. So, instead of pushing for more expensive evaluations, the ADHD needs to be addressed and a behavioral plan, including looking at if it is a good classroom/teacher fit.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 13:16     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:I don't have the numbers at my fingertips but I thought I saw something once that showed numbers of students with IEPs for some states with the disability category. Very few with OHI/ADHD but lots of 504s.


That's because OHI includes lots of things for which an IEP would almost never be necessary -- snack breaks for diabetes, elevator passes for mobility disabilities, etc. So you're not comparing fairly.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 13:13     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
Anonymous wrote:I don't have the numbers at my fingertips but I thought I saw something once that showed numbers of students with IEPs for some states with the disability category. Very few with OHI/ADHD but lots of 504s.


Yeah, like I said hard sell:

https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1-in-5-Snapshot.Fin_.03142017.pdf

So pro tip to parents contemplating getting an iep--include the ADOS in your testing.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 12:11     Subject: School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
I don't have the numbers at my fingertips but I thought I saw something once that showed numbers of students with IEPs for some states with the disability category. Very few with OHI/ADHD but lots of 504s.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2017 11:45     Subject: Re:School thinks DS has ASD, dev ped does not agree. Now what?
FAPE is a federal law. Doesn't differ school to school.

Op, if you're still here. Since you asked for advice, fill out the GARS and get the ADOS done privately and submit results to the school.