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    #138145 09/14/12 05:06 PM
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    Irena Offline OP
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    Okay so we finally got a draft of what I guess is the IEP report for my DS7 (1st grade). The IEP is for congenital hypotonia, vision disorder (intermittent convergent strasbismus) and anxiety nos. What are my rights with this? He gets an IEP (Yay!) for the vision, hypotonia and anxiety. I love and agree with almost all of the recommendations that the report provides (she basically just lifted all of those I provided to her and put them in the report and "recommended" them). However, I do not agree with one of her recommendations. The school psych recommends that a, "behavior specialist be included in (DS)'s team to assist in determining if suggested strategies and specifically designed instruction are sufficient at the time his IEP is developed or if a functional behavior assessment should be initiated." I do not agree to this. Ds' "behaviors" are not due to ADHD, ODD, PDD NOS, or any other suspect disorder or spectrum disorders. His behaviors (past behaviors, actually - he's been doing incredibly well with his new teacher and now with everyone aware of and accomodating for his vision and hypotonia) are/were do to his having a suoerior intelligence stuck inside a body that can't see or write properly and no one knowing why he was so frustrated, stressed and anxious about it. Example (cited in report), he had to do an exercise on the computer he sat there trying to do it but couldn't (now I know that he could not find the right keys on the key board b/c he has hard time seeing thinngs like letters on a keyboard due to his vision), other students were finishing and leaving and he was still sitting there. He was encouraged to keep trying and he said "I hate this stupid thing! I am not doing it again!" Well, I can clearly see why he was upset. He couldn't see the keyboard properly. He didn't want to say that he couldn't see the letters properly (that's if he even realized he wasn't seeing right). He sat there feeling stupid and not understanding why other children who he thought he was at least as smart as, if not smarter, were doing the exercise sans help quickly and he couldn't find the letters. He was getting afraid that people would think he didn't know his alphabet and think him "stupid." (This is a huge fear of his) . His teacher and TAs had no idea he could not see the letters properly either. This seems like a "behavior" (ODD or whatever - school cited it as an example of his "defiance") but it's the result of his hidden disability, albeit unknown at the time.

    Anyway, "behaviors" shouldn't even be nearly as much of an issue now that we know his physical issues are and from where the anxiety comes and he has been doing great since school has started.

    But anyway, I will not agree to this recommnedation. What do I do about it?

    Last edited by marytheres; 09/14/12 05:22 PM.
    Irena #138146 09/14/12 05:10 PM
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    Irena Offline OP
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    Also is there anything that should be included about him being twice exceptional? There really is nothing that address his gifts in my opinion. Any suggestions in that regard for me?

    Irena #138147 09/14/12 05:19 PM
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    CCN Offline
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    Talk to the school. My son's IEP was not put into place until I signed it. And yes, I think it should be mentioned that he is 2e, because that changes so many things...

    Irena #138148 09/14/12 05:23 PM
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    Irena Offline OP
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    Thanks CCN! Any recommendations as to what to include about 2e? I am really really new to all of this....

    Irena #138150 09/14/12 05:33 PM
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    Have you had the IEP team meeting and gone through the full IEP together, or is this just a draft copy prior to the meeting? Or... is this the "final" IEP and there wasn't ever a meeting? What I would do depends on the answer...

    If it's just a draft prior to a team meeting where you will (together as a team) review the IEP and edit/update/change on as agreed by the team, then all I would do now is prepare a rational list of the reasons you believe that adding in a behavioral specialist isn't necessary at this point in time. Try to take the emotion out of it, just list the facts - previous issues in the classroom were likely due to an undiagnosed vision challenge. You could consider offering to revisit the issue in 6 months if behaviors in the classroom continue to be a problem after the IEP is in place.

    If it's a "final" copy and you've already had the team meeting, you don't have to sign it, or you could sign it and disagree - there is a place on our school district IEPs forms for parents' comments, and that is where we put any disagreements or additional information we feel should be included with the IEP.

    If the school staff insists that it must be included, then you need to know exactly what happens next in the IEP process in your school district if you don't sign in order to make your decision to sign or not sign. I'd suggest at this point, if you have access to an advocate that you can ask this question to (a local parent advocate) I'd do that right away before doing anything else.

    Good luck!

    polarbear

    ps - did the school mention the example you cited above (the ODD suggestion) at a team meeting or did a teacher mention it in a private conversation? I think that might be something I'd personally send back to the school in the form of an email - restate what was stated (at whatever meeting or conversation it was stated in), outline why you believe it is due to vision challenge rather than a behavioral issue, and send it to whoever was present when it was said. I've found in working with our school that when I did this type of documenting, issues like this sometimes disappeared and the school staff was much more willing to agree to my point of view smile

    pps - I'm sorry I can't help with the gifted part - gifted IEPs (not really IEPs but more of a "plan" and IEPs are separate in our school district. The only place in which any "2e" shows up in our ds' IEP are the places where his ability and achievement scores are reported.

    Last edited by polarbear; 09/14/12 05:43 PM.
    Irena #138152 09/14/12 05:39 PM
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    In my experience they'll only formally recognize what's shown up on test results from established pros, so I'd bring in whatever you have (if you haven't already).

    You either ask for a modification of this section:

    "behavior specialist be included in (DS)'s team to assist in determining if suggested strategies and specifically designed instruction are sufficient at the time his IEP is developed or if a functional behavior assessment should be initiated."

    ...to include mention of 2e, or have somewhere prior something that mentions that your DS has been identified being 2e and is therefor subject to frustrations and anxiety from the limitations that his vision challenges place on his intellect.

    (or something like that)

    I'd be really "team-oriented" though, because you want to keep the lines of communication open. It sounds like they're trying to accommodate him, which is good. You can express your fears that a functional behavior assessment could result in a misdiagnosis because of the 2e, and see what they say.

    Good luck smile

    polarbear #138153 09/14/12 05:41 PM
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    Irena Offline OP
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    Originally Posted by polarbear
    Have you had the IEP team meeting and gone through the full IEP together, or is this just a draft copy prior to the meeting? Or... is this the "final" IEP and there wasn't ever a meeting? What I would do depends on the answer...

    It is just a draft copy prior to the meeting.

    Okay very good advice! Thank you.

    I really, really do not like the school psych that did the report (I am very pleasantly surprised that there wasn;t more in there that I would disgree with). But we have never "quarrled" or anything I don't think she knows I don't like but I do not. Good news is she should not be involved much after this as DS will not at her school anymore - he will be in a different school in the district and I really like the new psych so far much better than she and the new one has much more understanding and compassion for DS. Apprently, though this psych is the one to call the shots and run the show with this IEP report b/c she was in charge all last year upon which the assessments are based and from the IEP results.

    CCN #138154 09/14/12 05:44 PM
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    Irena Offline OP
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    Originally Posted by CCN
    . You can express your fears that a functional behavior assessment could result in a misdiagnosis because of the 2e, and see what they say.

    Good luck smile

    I like this. This is what I need to hear. I am so not good with phrasing this sort of stuff - ie, phrasing it without pissing them off but still getting what I want and my point across, nicely but firmly - YKWIM?

    Irena #138155 09/14/12 05:49 PM
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    I just added a few little notes at the bottom of my previous post, in case you didn't see them since we were cross-posting smile

    Re the team meeting, the school psych probably doesn't really run the meeting - most often the school psychs are just involved to determine eligibility and make initial recommendations (which you've seen). The actual IEP shouldn't be put together until the team meeting, and our school psych never even showed up for a team meeting after the eligibility meeting was past history. I also wasn't terribly fond of our school psych - in the eligibility meeting he kept saying things like "well it COULD be a learning disability or it COULD be ADHD or it COULD be he is from Mars... you get the picture. He even listed all of that in his eligibility report, even though he'd done no evaluation for any of it (ADHD, Mars etc). I think there's a good chance your team will agree to no behavior specialist if you just make your argument in a straightforward manner - any kind of specialist is going to cost $ and take teacher time. Remember that there will be quite a few people at the meeting other than the psych - your ds' teacher should be there, and a school district rep (or at least they come to our meetings), and you can take your dh with you so there are two parents there. Everyone has to agree for the IEP to take effect. If you get stuck on a point and can't agree, you can always say "We're not ready to sign today. We are going to take this draft home and think about it." That was our advocate's advice to us when we were headed into a sticky situation once. Fortunately we didn't get that far - I'll be honest, I had decided for our ds ahead of time there was a limit to how far we would go in disagreeing simply because I felt there was a point at which it became counterproductive and took up too much of my time and energy that was better spent helping ds smile

    Good luck!

    polarbear

    polarbear #138156 09/14/12 05:52 PM
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    Irena Offline OP
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    Originally Posted by polarbear
    ps - did the school mention the example you cited above (the ODD suggestion) at a team meeting or did a teacher mention it in a private conversation? I think that might be something I'd personally send back to the school in the form of an email - restate what was stated (at whatever meeting or conversation it was stated in), outline why you believe it is due to vision challenge rather than a behavioral issue, and send it to whoever was present when it was said. I've found in working with our school that when I did this type of documenting, issues like this sometimes disappeared and the school staff was much more willing to agree to my point of view smile

    I actually kind-of did this. When I sent in his last report from the vision doctor which contained several tests DS did, observations of DS and it explained in detail the obstacles facing DS due to the vision problems, how it affects DS and what he needs. I went on to say the following:

    "It was very disheartening to hear the psychologists attribute it to various behavioral/psychological issues (that he is "so rigid he just can't see others' perspectives" - so not DS at all!), anxiety and to hear and read in various reports people 'hinting' that he is on the spectrum or has ODD or ADHD - when I KNOW what "on the spectrum" looks like and I know he is not (anyone who takes some time to get to know DS can see that he is not on the spectrum.") And I KNOW what ADHD looks like and I also know that is not DS. I said to the the various psychologists involved in this that when I observed him taking the test it seemed really obvious to me that he has a learning disability or some sort of vision problem and they sort-of treated me like I was crazy. And here we are. I am so glad I valued my observations and suspicions over that of the "professionals" with the "checklists" and pushed the vision and learning disability testing. I am not glad that he has these vision disorders (on the contrary, I am heartbroken) but I am glad I am finally getting accurate labels and diagnoses rather than him being labeled with (and possibly medicated for) various disorders that he does not have. It frightens me how easily that could have happened and would have happened, if I were not the way I am (as annoying as "the way I am" may be). "

    I know. I kind-of went off. But this was all so heartbreaking and just very frightening. Someone had to say it and I don't care what people think of me so I said it. Plus I am the ONLY Ds has got on his side. frown The "psychologists" I am referring to include her and she knows it. I think that is why the report is so much more favorable than I expected.

    Last edited by marytheres; 09/14/12 06:09 PM.
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