Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Preparing for First School Team Meeting

I am seeking advice on how to best prepare and manage an upcoming school meeting. The meeting is to discuss DS's (2nd grade) potential needs due to learning disability. He is 2e.

History.
- test wisc -IV 2013. GAI 170; VCi 166; PRI 148; WM 134: PSI 98
- test WJ-III ACH 2013. Most scores were in 120s. Spelling and writing in low 100s.
- CTOPP superior scores
- BEERY average

Tester did not diagnose but suspected LD- due to discrepancy, themes in testing; and his testing behavior (anxious and embarrassed versus engaged dying IQ test). She noted he struggled with low frequency and nonsense words; writing/spelling challenges; fine motor
Skills, speed, and perhaps visual processing as crossing midline a lot when writing.

We remediated privately for the first grade school year with OT (Handwriting without Tears) and a wonderful OG Reading Tutor. Both times he rapidly accelerated through their coursework completed half way through expected time. School was in the know bit did not believe LD existed. Admitted they could be wrong as he is you g. They explained his underachievement as lack of listening/immaturity.

We retested this summer 2014 WJ-III Achievement with overall similar global scores.
- he did improve pretty well in reading areas. With a VCI of 166 his broad reading is still a bit of a concern at 98% but not a major concern.
- his spelling improved greatly too!
- he lost some ground in writing and math fluency.
- he was not anxious or embarrassed this time!!
- clear theme that anything involving with motor graphia or speed was depressed.

Tester is diagnosing him with dysgraphia and verbally said she would say dyslexia too but his reading is not going to be a large issue and there is a question whether his reading is explained through visual processing issues or dyslexia...our goal is just to ensure he doesn't develop ineffective compensation techniques. she feels we need to start accommodations for writing--she suggested we stop OT for handwriting as grip is what it is and shift tutoring to organizing written thoughts; shift OT to motor planning/upper body strength/ and ask school for keyboarding lessons and accommodations.

OT reports also support dysgraphia and dyspraxia which developmental pediatrician diagnosed for us based on OT reports alone.

I called district to inquire about process to see if he would qualify for services/ accommodations. I called in June when school was out. The district was kind and shared that typically children qualify when below grade level and I was honest that he is above grade level in all areas...she shared that they will use the discrepancy model for unique cases. I explained He had a 60 point discrepancy between his VCI and writing. She felt that was pretty unique and we should meet. School just started and They have requested for us to meet with school and district team next week to discuss. She did share if they decide to evaluate my son they will do a 12-week RTI evaluation.

I have made available the IQ/ACH/CTOPP/Beery reports.
I have requested copies of any assessments/data I can share from OT.

1. I don't have copies of written diagnosis. How important are they at this exploratory meeting? I asked tester and doctors for something I'm just curious as how vital they are to know how important it is I chase them down!

2. in these meetings, I assume the purpose is to discuss if he should even be evaluated. So my job is to present the case and their job is to describe the evaluation process? What do I stress how much do I explain?

3. Do we discuss his enrichment needs at all or only focus on his needs based on disabilities/ challenges? I have struggled getting traction on anything other than a gifted pull out...so any opportunity to ensure we are meeting his ability needs. Is like him in AFTERSCHOOL robotics or odyssey even though he is a year off. I'd like audio books at his IQ level available so he doesn't have to be dependent on reading for knowledge. I'd still like SSA in math but long shot and I'll wait another year to assess if that is a good strategy still.


4. How do I know if we are being evaluated for 504 or IEP and does it make a difference at this point? No one has used those terms.

Literally I asked what The qualifications were for services and or accommodations. I explained our situation. They said let's sit down and discuss.

Thanks for help! Sorry for typos on iPhone.

N, I am sure someone with more expertise will chime in, but your DS certainly sounds profoundly gifted and I would hope that the school would WANT to meet those needs, too. How does your Ds feel about school right now? Does he complain about boredom?

There are several recent posts and resources which may be of interest.

In the event that school personnel are not familiar with these diagnoses, here is great information from Irena. Information from the NCLD may also be helpful.

Not so. For LD and 2e issues, you will want to be familiar with wrightslaw, which informs on many aspects of advocacy, including IDEA. The book From Emotions to Advocacy is helpful.

important to have, even if you choose not to share.

There is really not a standard as to how many meetings, who attends, and what is discussed. To manage your expectations and make best use of everyone's time, you may wish to request an agenda. While a school or district may proceed based on a phone call, a formal process usually starts with a written request by a parent.

Many find that focusing on LD needs first is helpful to the child, others term this a "deficit" approach.

The child is being evaluated to assess ways in which access to education may be impaired. Depending upon the results, an IEP, 504, or both may be put into play. Previous post on IEP or 504 - here's a great description by polarbear

As a friendly "heads up", you may wish to know that many schools bristle at the use of "we" when speaking of a child's education (we are being evaluated, we are going to an ivy league college, etc) as it may imply parents who're overly involved/invested/identified with their child.

Standard tips for meeting prep include:
- Research state laws and the school or district policies and practices. This information is often found online. You may wish to print and put this in an advocacy ring binder to refer to over the years as the laws and policies/practices may change over time.
- Have any test results and other pertinent facts available to share (milestones, reading lists, other accomplishments/achievements)
- It is good to have them speak first. If asked to speak first, you may simply wish to thank everyone for attending and summarize that you are all here to share information and ideas about how to best meet your child's educational needs... and that you would like to hear from them.
- Agenda
- Know who is in the meeting, and their role(s)
- Stay calm
- Know what you are asking for
- TAKE NOTES including Who-What-Where-When-Why-How of differentiation, so you can summarize in an e-mail afterward [Some families announce they plan to record the meeting and then do so, rather than taking notes.]
- Use active listening (rephrase what has been said, and put it in a question form) to clarify understanding
- Be open to receiving the school's data/observations.
- Listen to any proposals they may make, ask appropriate probing questions, such as how a proposal may work, how the proposal may help your child, the schedule/frequency of service delivery, etc
- Do not be forced to make a decision if you need time
- Summarize next steps & time frames, and/or need for a follow-up meeting
- Thank everyone for their time & interest
- After the meeting, write a summary (points of agreement, etc) and share it, possibly by e-mail

General advocacy information/resources shared in this recent thread .

Not really. He just started second grade last week. He has a very people pleaser personality; is a rule follower; and a bit anxious by temperament.

He loved Kindergarten.

He complained about the repetition in first grade. Saying things like, "they teach it on Monday and then we just keep doing the same thing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday....why can't I just come on Monday since I got it the first time?" And "I almost screamed out in the middle of class today, 'teach me science or social studies! Please!' But I kept quiet and just screamed in my head instead!"

On the other hand, he also really enjoyed all the free time he had to read last year and began to enjoy writing as long as he could do creative writing and create poetry or comic strips.

I just received his OT report. They completed a sensory and coordination. Results are mostly average. This is where the dyspraxia (DCD) comes from but not sure it is really compelling.

B-O Test Motor Proficiency: All was average (nothing above average) with these as below. He was 6.6 At time of assessment. Here is his scaled score and age equivalency:

Manual dexterity - low average (16). 5.0 age equivalency
Upper body tone- below average (7). 4.10
Bilateral coordination- low average (17) 5.8

They did a sensory profile too and all is typical except low muscle time is 31/45
And classified as definite difference.

Not sure it helps or hurts our case here.

Thank you Indigo for all your information!

Awesome post, indigo. You make a great point about 'we' vs 'the child' language.

N, to question 1, yes, get the diagnosis in writing if at all possible.

My reply is going to be a bit scattered - I'm on the way out the door in a few minutes to an orthodontist appointment with a dd who absolutely no-way-under-the-sun wants to go get braces child - so I keep getting interrupted with loud screams of "I don't want to go" lol!


Don't worry if the reports seem "compelling" or try to over think ahead of the meeting what the people on the team will think of the reports. Instead, think through how you can use the reports you have to tell your ds' story. The low average motor efficiency fits with dyspraxia and dysgraphia.

Your ds also had a Beery VMI that you said was "average" - was it average after the subtests were summed? Was there any discrepancy that points to weakness in fine motor vs visual integration?

Also be prepared to explain what the tests test. Not in detail, but enough of a brief description to help the team understand how the tests relate to your ds' challenges and strengths - not everyone at the meeting will be familiar with each test, and chances are no one at the meeting (outside possibly the school psych and/or OT will have seen a child with the specific set of strengths and challenges your ds has) .

Absolutely without a doubt get the written reports with diagnoses on them. One note - the words used to diagnose may be different than the terms you are used to, depending on who has diagnosed. "Dysgraphia", for instance, on a neuropsych report, will show up as "Disorder of Written Expression" and "Dyspraxia" will show up as "Developmental Coordination Disorder".

The school does not diagnose (typically), instead their evaluation will determine what your ds' needs are in terms of academics/education. For instance, if after an IEP eligibility process they determine he needs an individualized education plan addressing reading, they will say he qualifies under "Specific Learning Disability/Reading" - they will not state anywhere that he is diagnosed with "dyslexia".

I think it's very important going into these meetings to have as clear an idea as possible both of what your ds' needs are and what you want to have the school provide (best case scenario). Then build your case supporting the needs/requests as solidly as possible. It is also important to know what your rights are in your school district and state, as well as helpful to have input from other parents or a parent advocate in your area re what to expect. If you haven't tried to locate a parent advocate in your area, I would try today to make a contact if you can find a group. Ask them the same questions you've asked us. Advice online is wonderful, but having someone local who has knowledge of your school district is invaluable.

Re knowing what your ds needs as much as possible going into the meeting - you also need to anticipate outcomes that might not work so you can advocate against them if suggested. One example that might happen: RTI (Response to Intervention). Let's say (just an example) the team proposes RTI for handwriting - you know your ds needs accommodations, not handwriting. That's when you remind the team that your ds has already had handwriting OT, he gained (fill in the blank), he did not realize improvement in (fill in the blank - for instance, I think you mentioned he still has an odd grip). Then you remind the team he is diagnosed with dysgraphia. You explain dysgraphia as simply and briefly as you can - people with dysgraphia do not develop automaticity of handwriting, therefore attempting to remediate is pointless and takes time away from meaningful activities such as teaching keyboarding skills.

I've got to run (sorry) but the last thing I'll add for now is that - IF you or the team decide you are advocating for an IEP there will be an eligibility evaluation. IF you or the team decide you are requesting a 504 the process is much quicker and easier. That *doesn't* mean it's better or the right thing for your ds - just wanted to point out the processes to the ends are different. IF you go for the IEP (which I suspect you probably should), the team will say your ds needs to go through RTI for some period because that's basically the process. You can, however, advocate that RTI has, in effect, already happened based on the reading tutoring and handwriting OT he has already had.

Sorry, gotta run! I hope some of that makes sense!

Best wishes,

polarbear

Thanks for the great advice!

Geofizz ill chase all down. I'm most concerned with Ed psych's diagnosis in preparation for next week.

Polar bear...i am beyond impressed that you can dish out such logical and informative advices while running out the door with stress nonetheless.
I've had horrible luck finding advocacy or groups for my district. I will keep looking and I have found a ton for neighboring districts...oh me oh my. I am rather clear on What he needs (though I'm sure it can be greatly improved) but had not given a thought to what might be suggested that would be harmful.
Your example for handwriting remediation was perfect. Thanks!

wrightslaw, left column has headers for e-mail subscription, current year training schedule, Wrightslaw, Books & Training, Advocacy Library, Law Library, Topics, Resources & Directories. Under that last section (Resources & Directories), there is a sub-heading State PTIs with a listing arranged alphabetically by State: Directory of Parent Training and Information Centers (PTI) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRC). You may wish to try looking there to locate local advocacy assistance.

This is how I found our local advocate. One thing to note: "local" may not mean the parent advocacy center is located in your city - my group just happens to be, for instance, *but* they have parent advocates who work across the state and are "local" in that sense. If you look at the yellow pages at wrightslaw and find a contact listed in your state but in a different city, I'd go ahead and give them a call and ask what resources are available for your area.

polarbear