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I can't emotionally/physically/mentally handle a battle.

You may very well be able to handle more than you think you can. Talking to the advocate will (I suspect) help alleviate some of your mental weariness, and working with an advocate will help tremendously with making the efforts you put into this worthwhile as opposed to spinning wheels while going nowhere. (I'm not saying that's what you've been doing, but I'm guessing it might *feel* like that much of the time and that adds to feeling worn down and not up for a "battle").

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I would like the evaluation, as much as anything, so that I have a better handle on what is going on with DS.

You actually most likely already have this (in the neuropsych eval), you just haven't seen the report yet or had a chance to talk to the neuropsych post-eval to understand what he/she saw and concluded.

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I see the value of IEP goals and supports. At least at this point--his major issues are with his EF and social skills and those are things for which I'm willing to pursue outside services.

I'd again, not try to think through what you're going to have to do privately vs through the school and what type of services you see value in vs don't see value in until you've seen the neuropsych report.

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There are some extra weirdnesses bc of the nature of this program and how it's categorized in the district (it's called a "choice" program--there are a few of them--and some differences in which rules apply), so that's a thing I need to research more.

My ds was in a "choice" program when he was diagnosed in early elementary. The choice programs in our district went through a phase where they said (publicly, documented, accessible by all) that the school district policy allowed those programs to *not* enroll children who qualified for them if the children required IEP services, with the alleged reason being that it was too difficult/expensive to deliver those services in any way other than through the neighborhood schools. I was fairly certain at the time (still am) that that policy is not exactly legal, and it disappeared within 2 years of being put in place. You should ask your advocate to explain to you what your child's rights are in the program he's in - it's not something that I suspect you'll need to do much research into, I suspect your advocate will know the answer to that question.

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I also need to find out if a child with 504 v. IEP would be able to access any school-based services at all, particularly help with organization. Next year there is a mandatory study hall period so I'm wondering if he could go to a resource room for help without an IEP. I need to know more about what is/what is not possible without IEP.

These are the types of questions your advocate can answer for you - and once you know the answers, you determine what you will request from the school, and then you'll be able to compose your letter.

polarbear