What led to this DeeDee?
This was the third meeting in less than 3 weeks - each approximately 2 hours long. The purpose was to review and implement recommendations from the Assistive Technology Evaluation. I have reviewed on other threads how the first 2 meetings went so I won't repeat here. This one finally addressed the AT issue. They are implementing direct instruction in keyboarding and getting her started on using Dragon Dictation. They are providing an iPad. They are adding additional OT time and extra time in the resource room for her to do Lexia and Dragon. They are switching her from a part-time to a full-time para. It has been a long time coming but finally they are providing what we believe she needs. Heartbreaking that she has so many challenges, exhausting and frustrating that it took so long to get here but all in all good developments.
After all of this was ironed out the Director of Pupil Personnel Services (DPP) said that they want to do a Functional Behavior Analysis to see what is actually triggering DD's anxiety in school. No mention of this beforehand. Consultant has been trying to get a meeting with DPP for a month and a half to discuss just how badly off the tracks this situation and our relationship with the district has gotten. She has been putting him off but weeks ago agreed she would meet with him yesterday, No one expected it would be the same day as an IEP meeting. The person from the district handling our case last year (DSS) worked closely with our consultant. They discussed everything in advance so we had productive meetings and got everything done efficiently. Until the meeting on the next to last day of school last year, just days before DSS was leaving the district, all went pretty well. The principal did a lot of really bad things - mostly documented here - but each time DSS worked with me and/or consultant to address them. There was a lot of bad blood created but DSS did a really good job of moving things forward.
So now when the DPP brings up this FBA idea my only thought is "Why now? Why didn't you decide to formally look at what was triggering DD's anxiety when your principal was going out of her way to antagonize her anxiety and create a hostile educational environment? Why didn't you decide to do this when your teacher was insisting on using a behavior management system that was clearly triggering DD and was refusing to change it? " I did not say these things but instead asked to speak to our consultant outside "So I don't say anything you don't want me to."
When we came back into the room consultant explained that we needed to discuss this idea with DD's therapist and we would get back to the team. DPP said "OK let the record show that the district has offered to do a Functional Behavior Analysis to determine the cause of [DD]'s anxiety and the parents have refused." Both consultant and the "new DSS", who was brought into the case the day after the last explosive meeting last year and knows it inside and out, jumped in saying that is not what was said, that is not accurate, etc. DPP then started trying to convince us that this FBA would be looking at the entire school situation, that they are trying to do what is best for DD, that no one is understanding why she is experiencing anxiety at school, etc. I turned to consultant and told him that I thought I needed to say some things. He shrugged and nodded.
I got as far as "Why are you doing this now? Why didn't you do this when your principal was taking actions to intentionally trigger this child's anxiety?" That is when principal pushed back in her chair, gathered her keys and her walkie-talkie and started towards the door in dramatic fashion. It went on from there after she left the room and I spelled out a litany of bad behavior on the part of the principal. I included a few statements about the current classroom teacher but she sat there. She didn't move a muscle. She remained completely professional. As I ran down this list of things the principal had done no one defended her. No one disputed any of it. No one tried to correct me or point out that anything I was saying was wrong. No one reacted at all to her leaving the room. Of course nothing I said was new. I had voiced the exact same concerns to the SW, the "new DSS", the spec ed teacher, the superintendent and the state Dept of Ed. I also had made clear to all of them that I did not want to be put in a position of saying these things at an IEP meeting - I wanted it handled privately. Yeah, that worked out well...
