Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Changing the IEP

I got my son's IEP successfully modified. The IEP team met- it took over a month to set it up. I asked for more specific wording on what preferential seating is, documentation that it is more difficult for him to learn spelling and vocab words because he is hearing impaired (although he can learn it; it just takes more time), and to make sure he gets written, not just verbal directions.
I had wanted to add in that he has a documented auditory processing disorder, in addition to being hearing impaired. We had him privately tested with a PhD-audiologist, who did 3-4 hours of detailed APD testing. She found, not surprisingly, that he has that.
However, they balked at adding the diagnosis. They said it opens up all kinds of legal issues.
I really don't see why that would matter, frankly. But since they gave me everything we wanted, it doesn't seem important.
I wonder if anyone else has had that experience?

Did they say what the legal issues are? I'm curious!

I guess it comes down to how much you think inclusion of the diagnosis would help your son. I understand how you feel about not wanting to rock the boat when they've been so accommodating in the past, though. It's a tough call... push it, or let it go?

(Sorry, I know that's not much help!)

I'd at least ask about the legal issues and what their concerns are.

I didn't ask them what their legal concerns. I figured that I got what we wanted and that was enough.
The speech pathologist doesn't believe that he has an auditory processing disorder and she is on the IEP team. He's hearing impaired and wears a hearing aid, so to me, I don't see that it is a big stretch if you say he has an auditory processing disorder.
She had done her own auditory processing disorder test and said he "tested well." Our audiologist said her test was basically a joke. She tested him in a quiet room alone. The detailed private testing we did was in a soundproof room with an audiologist and involved having him listen in headphones to words while background noise was played- he actually did very poorly which really surprised me.
I guess it highlights that when people get an idea in their head (ie, she thinks he does not have this diagnosis), they will not change it easily.

I don't think it matters that APD isn't specifically mentioned on the IEP - the important thing is your ds is qualified under a meaningful category (hearing impaired) and he has the accommodations he needs included. The diagnoses our ds has from his private neuropsych etc aren't listed on his IEP; he's qualified under the category that fits his educational needs (SLD in writing). We will always have his private diagnosis paperwork to provide either to school or other institutions if there is a need to explain the details of his challenges.

There are two things you can do - one I'd do for sure - be sure a copy of his outside private evals are given to the school for his file. Two - if you want to see the diagnosis in the IEP, you can add a brief note about it yourself under the section for parents' notes (this appears on the first page of our form, and from what I've heard, it's a standard part of most IEP forms).

Congrats on getting the IEP updated!

polarbear

This is great advice- thank you for your comments!

That seems kind of odd, since IEPs are supposed to be written to the child's needs, not a boilerplate addressing the overall diagnosis.
That having been said, though, dd's IEP (which she's had for seven years now) doesn't have her full diagnosis on it either, because it's evolved over the years. As long as she's getting the accommodations she requires, I don't care if they call her a purple kangaroo.