Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Penning the IEP application - advice welcomed

DD7 just had a WISC-IV to confirm what we suspected: 2-e. GAI of 154 and what appears to be dysgraphia. She also has ADHD hyperactive type and sensory processing disorder.

She's reading at a 1st grade level and her math is slightly higher.

I called the district's special education main office for some background before writing the IEP request with our DD's school. We are in a big district. We want access to a "non-public" school for ADHD/LD students that will accommodate gifted students.

Over the phone, the special education district representative said they will accommodate the gap between cognitive ability and performance. The WISC-IV showed a gap of 50 points. (I can't remember how many standard deviations that was, but it raised our testing psychologist's eyebrows. He felt certain DD could get an IEP.)

Any wording advice would be greatly appreciated. I've heard so many people say "you have to use a lawyer" that I really need to know if this has been true for most here.

Seablue, I believe that usually an out of district placement is only available (at district's expense) when the district has tried and failed to meet the child's needs, or when it's already crystal-clear that it can't do so. Every district will be different, but the norm is that they will want to serve your DD with the resources they have if at all possible.

Backing up several steps: this was a private eval, right? Has the district ever evaluated? If not, they HAVE to (by law) conduct an educational eval. All your letter has to do is to request that the district evaluate her, and list all the areas of concern. If you want to tell them you have this outside eval and diagnoses to share, it will speed things up considerably, but you are still looking at a process. The school is not entitled to diagnose anyone-- but they do have to make determinations of educational needs (as distinct from medical or other kinds).

Hope you find a situation that works for you.

Take a look at the Wrightslaw website if you haven't. They have some excellent books as well. We have used various special education advocates as well as a lawyer in our search for services. It was extremely expensive and more importantly very very stressful. We ultimately got what we needed but we had to move to do it.

I realize my situation is not your situation and ymmv. But I would just say that you have to realize and be prepared for the fight ahead. The district will often spend 10x in legal fees what the services you want would have cost. Their concern is not you but people like me. People so desperate to get appropriate services that they will move in to any district that would provide them. So they fight very hard not to pay out money for any services, regardless of what the child needs. There are other reasons , too, but that is the main one.

Check out the Wrightslaw website and try to (quietly) network with other parents. What services are they getting and how did they get them? Always remember that unless you plan to move you will be dealing with these people for a long time. Try hard to stay cordial. It is amazingly difficult.

Good luck

Great advice in the book From Emotions to Advocacy, Wrightslaw website, and also from the National Center for Learning Disabilities, see previous post.

Ok, thank you.

DeeDee, yes, this IEP will be to request district testing now that we have private testing. We have had a 504 in place this year, so maybe that will help our cause for new placement.

Southlake, you scare me. The two pieces of good news are 1. we already have the name of a successful lawyer who is both known by the district and by the non-public school we want to move DD to. 2. We just moved to the area and rent - so we can move anywhere we need to.

Indigo, I'll check those out!

Seablue, my best advice right now is to slow down. You are about 50 steps ahead of where the school district is.

The process is likely to be slower than you think. They have a 60-day window to get their eval done, and then there is normally a meeting of the whole team to discuss the eval and qualify the child for an IEP based on educational needs, and then another, separate meeting to determine what services correspond to those needs and how those services should be delivered and in what environment.

In short, if you get the request letter in tomorrow, I'll still be dazzled if the IEP is written during this school year.

Sorry to be a downer. I just want you to know that you have time to take a breath. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

DeeDee, I'm hoping to get things in place before Nov/Dec. If I submit the request for testing tomorrow or Monday, they have 15 days to respond, and 60 days to evaluate. That puts us to about the end of the school year.

DD could potentially gain a spot to the gifted elementary school (not holding my breath) next year if district testing is done and a spot opens up for Sept, which does happen.

So my urgency is in getting the process started before the end of this school year, in order to have an IEP in place the first half of next school year.

But thank you - you're right, I need to slow down. I just caught a glimpse of hope for a solution to this school chaos and I'm full steam ahead, as if I can will it to happen. My request is as much a cry for a reality check as it is for practical advice, so thank you.

They might (big might) do all the pieces that they have to do by law (hearing and vision screenings, etc) and possibly accept the outside testing. The fact that you already have a 504 means that the child already has a known disability. I used to work for a district that on occasion if the outside tester had a good reputation and the report was up to our standards ----well that was money saved by not doing that eval and just approve that report and add a short addendum that they had reviewed it and any additional thoughts or recommendations. ...they would make note of it and when the three year re-evaluation came up would make sure they didn't want to give the child the "works" at that time.

But one can only hope.

That's a good thing to shoot for. I just find it useful to keep my expectations adjusted.


That is my MO by temperament as well, just moderated over time...

Remember that depending on your state, it may be 15+60 school days, not calendar days.

Good luck!