Thank you all so much for heping me with this! I truly appreciate it and hope I can help others as much some day.
Okay, two more questions!
First, there is a paragraph that I think is more (or also) amenable to a modification to include more specific reference to 2e and more specific accomodation or whatever for it. It is this paragraph, which is included in the "Recommendations" section of the report:
"Staff should keep in mind the discrepancies between DS' cognitive abilities which impact the production, retention and speed of classroom work. Verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning skills are high while working memory and processing speed are below average and well below average respectively."
Okay, so I like that this is in there but I think it needs to be more specific with regard to explaining the 2e. Futhermore, and more importantly, what exactly does "staff should keep in mind" mean? That's kind of a rehetorical question to y'all... Because I realize it doesn't really mean anything. I think we should have a more specific directive here... but what? Because how do we measure "staff keep[ing] in mind" and how do we enforce it? you know? (Perhaps it is the lawyer in me but it seems to be the school's tendency in the report to be rather vague in terms of what is expected of them... which leads me to suspect that is done purposely to 'protect' themselves from being called out for violation ... after all how can we say there is a violation when the accomodation is so vague? I feel my role (again right into lawyer mode) is to make it as specific as possible to I can make the school do specific things to help DS and be able to clearly hold the school accountable when the re is a violation.) Anyway, I think this is where I need to modify to include accmodation/remediation/whatever-it-is-DS-needs to help with the fact that he bascially has a "ferrari mind in a less-than-ferrari body" i.e., twice exceptional. Any help with what to say, and what to ask for, would be so very appreciated.
Second question! There is a recommendation that says the school wants permission to talk with DS' private therapist on an ongoing basis. Uh, really? They actually expect me to agree that? No, absolutely not. I am not giving anyone free reign to discuss DS' private medical information and treatment with DS' private therapist - what a betrayl to DS (he'd never forgive me if he found out and I wouldn't blame him) and what an intrusion on my family's and DS' privacy. If necessary, of course, I would give specific and limited permission at specific times; otherwise school goes through me. I will get relaevant info from therapist on an as needed basis (in the form of reports, letters, emails, etc) and pass along to school as I see fit and necessary (that is what I do with all of DS' medical info, isn't it? The school doesn't have permission to discuss DS with DS' vision therapist, neurologist, optometrist, etc). Okay, so sorry for my tirade, but my question is - is this a normal request of schools? Because I am bit offended by it (I know that's obvious). I guess if this is sort of 'par for the course' and pretty standard request then I will not be as offended (although I am still not agreeing to it). Furthermore, because all of DS' behaviors have resolved completely, once DS was taken out of the bad assistant's group, DS no longer gets therapy at the moment (at the suggestion of the therapist and I agreed - th eproblems are gone so no need to keep running there and paying money for therapy for behaviors that are no longer present)
Last edited by marytheres; 09/15/12 05:48 AM.
