Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Head... Meet Brick Wall...

Just got an email saying the apps will be loaded on the iPad on Monday. Crossing my fingers (but holding off on the cautious optimism for now...)

crossing fingers for you here too!

Update:

We had an IEP meeting yesterday. The person from the district who controls the password and who blocked access to the iPad for anything but Dragon Dictation said she was doing it to "protect" DD. "And I will do it again!"

In her opinion she did not think anything should be loaded onto the iPad out of fear that DD might get frustrated if they loaded apps that didn't work for her. Never mind that there was a 27 page AT evaluation done last year, never mind that it included 7 pages of recommendations (2 pages of them suggested apps for the iPad!), never mind that she lost an entire year because the district dragged its feet getting the AT in place. No, it might be frustrating for DD if some of the apps didn't work for her so it was better to have the iPad sit on the shelf of her classroom for 3 weeks while she wrote everything by hand, had people read aloud to her like a pre-schooler and could only do her math when she was able to access her teacher's desk top computer to get to the necessary programs. Yeah, that's a much better scenario for her. At one point she said something about this being the first time they ever had to load apps onto an iPad so they had to figure out how to do it. Don't even get me started on how that could even be possible...

I exploded during the meeting. I am so beyond done with the people in this district I just cannot contain myself anymore. THEY chose this school for out of district placement and now they won't get out of the way to let them do the job. I just don't get it. I really, truly don't.

So the new AT consultant finally visited the school this week and will be working with them so that DD can finally have apps up and running. Still no audio books (and no explanation as to how blocking those "protected" her...) but I made my rather strong case about the need to get those up and running ASAP.

We requested another IEP meeting in three weeks to look at the implementation of the AT services. I am thinking seriously of buying an iPad for home use so the school can provide her whatever they want regardless of what the district allows in school. I am still trying to figure out how to do that and not have the district balk and claim that we have accepted responsibility for all AT and then pull her OT training on it. At this point I put nothing past this district.

After the meeting I was told by consultant and DD's psych separately that neither will take any more cases involving kids in our district. These people are "impossible" and "incompetent". Both also made comments about the mental stability of the person in the district who took these actions. I really thought out of district placement would get them out of our lives but alas that's not the case. I wish I could relocate to another district but it has been explained to me that would cost DD another year of services and she can't afford that so we are stuck.

head... meet brick wall... [repeat]

No words for this. Just wow.

Pemb
I am so sorry that all the morons seem to be located in your district, it seems so unbelievable.

Could you buy an iPad for home use and ask the teachers what they plan to put on the school iPad, but do it in a hypothetical way or a just asking way. And then just do it and not tell them she has it. Home use is home use, right?

DeHe

Long shot but what realistic choices do you have at this point?

Have you tried your state/federal elected representatives? Low level public service morons tend to 'evacuate bricks' and comply when people like that get involved.

It is the 'nuclear' option but, seriously, they have painted themselves into this corner not you...

Oh my gosh, Pemberley. I am SO sorry that you and your family are still going through this. How is your DD doing in light of all of this?

I would must feel so frustrated and trapped! So much energy simply to deal with people whose actions have no purpose or point other than to be difficult and deny a child what she needs. And so sad that next time the child dealing with these awful people won't even have the help of your team...just stuck there. I wish a mighty lawsuit could shake things up for you and perhaps knock the morons loose from their current role in damaging children who are already under the burden of special challenges.

Pemb... I'm so sorry.

Do I understand right that the option right now is to sit tight and keep fighting? (Assuming it's too late to leap to the 2E school that required 2 households?)

I wonder if you have a lawyer. Based on our district's history, the things that have changed ongoing, truly toxic situations into workable ones here are these:

--formal complaint with the state department of education. Took a year or two.
--lawyer filing case for due process. Takes however long it takes, probably not a long startup time.
--change of special ed oversight personnel at district level.

I know you must be completely worn out. But if you have to stay, in your shoes I'd hire the best lawyer I could find (preferably one who has beaten your district in court before), hand them all the evidence, and set them on the problem.

It is quite expensive for a district to defend itself in court; and usually it provokes outcry from the citizens who don't want their taxes to go up because the district is doing the wrong things. At this point, there is no worry about making enemies, as these people are already approximately as bad as they come. So: the legal route is looking quite sensible to me...

How are your DD's migraines?

DeeDee

SERIOUSLY?????? Ok, I'll hope for the sake of all the kids in your district that what she really meant was she doesn't have a protocol for firewalls or whatever set up yet since your dd is the first student to use an iPad but really, I think I would have thrown my hands up in the air and walked out after I'd heard that in the meeting... I mean really... this is an AT person speaking???? Would she like me to fly my 9 year old out there to help her install a few apps??? (Note: I would send a younger child if I had one lol!)

I can't imagine how frustrated and just beyond annoyed you must be at this point in time Pemberley - it's all just outrageous. I too was wondering about your dd's migraines - I hope the mess at school isn't causing her too much stress.

In addition to all the impact of this on your family, it makes me so sad to read that your psych and consultant will not take any more cases from your district. A similar thing had happened in the past here with private professionals we have consulted with, due to horrendous experiences supporting clients who were going through the legal process with our school district. Just so very sad all around!


I have to throw one question out there - based on everything else that's happened this year, do you really think the district's OT training for your dd's AT is actually going to accomplish much of anything or be worth time away from class? There's been very little in our ds' AT that he hasn't been able to teach himself, and dh and I have been able to make up for those gaps as he's encountered them. I have also had help with tips on voice-to-text etc through a non-profit group outside of the school district. Unless the school can truly provide differentially meaningful AT training, if that was the one hold-up that you are worried about losing with taking over your dd's AT yourself, I'd seriously consider letting it go and providing her AT yourself. I realize I'm biased so feel free to ignore me It's just been our experience that AT provided through our school was too little, too late and not supported in a way that was workable. When we took over the control, it cost $ but it also gave us the freedom to move quickly and to be adaptable to meet our ds' needs, as well as giving our ds access to his AT at home during the school year and during summer break etc.

Another question for you - are you recording your IEP team meetings?

Hang in there Pemberley -

polarbear