Just to piggyback on Polarbear and spaghetti...
I started asking in 2nd grade if it was a good use of time to keep working on DD's handwriting when it was clear this would never be her primary means of communication. To me it seemed like the time, energy and resources would be better spent getting her up to speed as quickly as possible on AT. OT was adamant - and the rest of the school team backed her up - that they had to push handwriting in the early grades or she would never have the opportunity or incentive to learn it. I asked again in 4th grade but DD herself insisted at this point that she felt she needed to be able to write at least a brief note in case she ever found herself in a situation where she didn't have access to technology. Everyone's eyes filled with tears when she said "Mom you can't run away from your problems. You do understand that - right?"
So it's a balancing act. Yes they need functionality but really as technology continues to improve handwriting will become less and less of a skill set needed to function in everyday life. Just yesterday something came through my Facebook feed along the lines of "Cursive - one day soon it will be the secret language of older generations."
Oh and to spaghetti's point - I am most definitely the squeky wheel who gets the oil. Frankly I barely have to squeak at all anymore - I just ask questions. I don't fight for trivial things and I have proven myself over and over again. Some fear me. Some despise me. Some are entertained by me. But I think all respect me and the battle I have fought for my child. As awful as our situation was with the horrible principal and the district being in chaos allowing her behavior to go unchecked it all really worked out to our benefit. They behaved SO badly - and I reported it to DOE - they couldn't defend themselves. No one - not them and not me - wants to go down that path again. Now people who know me or DD's story are telling me that the district is approaching them with 2E identifications and offers of services. But the key was research, tenacity and not blinking.
If your district already has 4 lawsuits pending things could get very interesting. Check out Darien, Connecticut. A few years ago 24 families joined together to sue and were able to demonstrate an intentional plan to circumvent special Ed laws and keep parents out of the process. State and federal DOE intervened. If those 4 families in your district are using the same lawyer it could be worth a phone call. You can usually get a free consult and your story might bolster one of their cases...
