I went to a training today and one "helpful" person accused me of "doing nothing" to help my daughter if I don't hire an advocate, an education evaluator and a neuropsych. I don't see a need to reject the school's plan and hire people just to appear to be doing something.
Yes, going off half-cocked is a great way to make enemies. Not that I am at all opposed to hiring help-- we have a fairly large therapy team and an advocate. But you don't change the plan unless your best expert information tells you to, and you know exactly why you need to make the change.
My insurance might cover it and I would gladly spend the money if it resulted in useful, needed information. I'm just not getting a handle on what that information would be.
What do you know now? I know you have a dyslexia diagnosis for DD-- are you comfortable with the accuracy of that? Who made the diagnosis, and what kind of information did they provide about targeting treatment to her specific issues? I have no expertise in dyslexia, but my understanding is that it's an umbrella diagnosis for a number of different problems-- do you know what type she has, and what the preferred treatment plan is for that type? That's the sort of thing I'd expect from a neuropsych.
You can certainly be forthright in talking to neuropsychs and say "right now we think we know XYZ because of ABC reasons. We need to know more about PDQ. Is that the sort of thing your testing will reveal? How many kids with this kind of disability profile have you seen? Will you be able to direct me to appropriate treatment after you complete the testing?"
DeeDee
