Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Taking Away Accommodations

So, just wondering... is it common for the school to keep trying to sneak away accommodations? I guess this another trouble that tends to go along with 2e kids?

I had my DS7 re-evaluated for dysgraphia and dyslexia (he has an IEP for Congenital Hypotonia, Anxiety and a vision disorder) and as a result we had another IEP meeting. Some accommodations for executive functioning were added and some accommodations for addressing his strengths were included (just a vague accommodation that he should have enrichment after mastering curriculum - whatever that means). They added some vague accommodations for spelling and phonics, etc. Psych said she could NOT label him dysgraphic in her report because he performed at least averagely on the writing test (I suppose because he performed averagely on WJIII achievement?) But I find this a little confusing because his OT tests are still pretty dismal... He is still two years behind his peers and writing an inordinate amount of reversals. His writing fluency is slow and labored. We had/have good accommodations (scribing in particular) for that because it is/was attributed to his documented disability of hypotonia. I fought pretty hard back at the end of September for those writing accommodations with a lot of help from some great people here. More background info, I have a private neuropsych eval now scheduled for May1. I am hoping a private neuropsych will be able to help us get a formal diagnosis of dysgraphia (if indeed he has that and even though he compensates well he certainly seems to have it and the school psych did agree with me on that) so that I can get it formally on record at school to add strength to the writing accommodations, to help staff understand DS better and to get maybe extra tutoring if there is some particularly helpful for dysgraphia. Also hoping the neuropsych can give us more concrete answers/insight re whether or not ADHD-Inattentive is present or not.

Anyway, we have the IEP meeting and they tried to take away is writing accommodations! They changed many of the ones that called for scribing! For example, DS had a modification that read , "Provide a scribe for multiple written sentences” and that was changed to "Provide a scribe for multiple written sentences when DS requests assistance writing or an adult observes signs of frustration such as multiple erasures." Another accommodation that had read, "assign shortened writing tasks and break into chunks, reducing the amount of written work" was changed from "with each major writing assessment" to "when DS is feeling fatigued." They did the same thing with an accommodation that read, “Break math assignments into shorter pieces and offer breaks daily” to "daily if DS is feeling fatigued." When I push back at the meeting I feel like they gang up on us pulling out writing samples showing how well DS does without a scribe. THEN after they present with all of this proof of how much writing DS is doing, they complain that he has increasingly becoming very irritable over the last month or so and behaviors are coming out. YET amazingly they do not see the relationship between the increased writing and DS's emotional state even though he developed an anxiety disorder last year and had a breakdown because his disability wasn't properly accommodated for last year!!!! I have noticed his becoming increasingly more miserable and starting to hate school, pretend to be sick to get out of school, seeming very fatigued, etc. at home. When I argued that the increased writing is what is causing the irritability they act like I am nuts.

Anyway, I didn't bother to fight at the IEP meeting. I tried but looks started and they gang up on me and I get tired of feeling like I am the only one who sees what is happeneing with DS. It's like talking to brick wall talking to his teacher about this. If he is miserable outside of writing activities then she insists his being miserable can't possibly be related increased wiring. Uh, okay. They throw around phrases like that I "short-change" DS and "enable" his disability.

I have taken on the method often employed by DH and my inlaws, which is not me - but I do see the beauty in it. I smile, nod, act like I see their point and back dwon from the confrontation. Then, I went home and wrote to them basically saying we refuse to sign the IEP until the accommodations are put back. I wrote yet another well-laid argument in an email substantiating why the accommodations are necessary. Hopefully, I won't have to argue as much again - I just had these arguments with them 5 months ago! Do they think his hypotonia has suddenly been cured in 5 months??? Seriously???? I am really really disappointed in them. It just seemed sneaky and underhanded of them.

" Psych said she could NOT label him dysgraphic in her report because he performed at least averagely on the writing test (I suppose because he performed averagely on WJIII achievement?)"

Marysthere, I know you posted on my other thread that you DS seemed similar to mine. This something else they have in common! We have our first IEP team meeting Friday, the school Psychologist recommended keyboarding/laptop. I am hoping to get them to provide this accommodation. I see your in Pennsylvania too.

Was it the school psych who said he wasn't dysgraphic?

Most school psychologists aren't certified to practice medicine (diagnosing disease), instead they are certified by the Department of Education. If you have a diagnosis from a medical professional, they can't dispute that (although they might try!).

If your son has been diagnosed with a disability (dysgraphia), and the district is not respecting his right to accommodations, gently threaten to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights. This threatens all the school's federal funding, and school employees tend to take you a bit more seriously then.

I'd wait to pull out the big guns until you have tried everything else though.
Try not to burn any bridges.

Interesting. I didn't know that a physical disorder could be enabled by exogenous behaviour. So thoughtful of the administrators to weigh in with their *ahem* qualified medical opinions.

From where I sit, it looks like the only enabling you're doing is the kind that makes a suitable learning environment available.

So I wrote back to the school singing their praises and then stating I want the accommodations to stay the way they were in ocotober. And I received this response from the teacher:

"Before we make the changes, I have a few questions/concerns so that I can properly implement the IEP:

Writing: I need some clarification as to what this looks like in the classroom so that I can follow it properly. DS is offered writing assistance frequently throughout the day across all subject areas. He will often times decline, but other times accepts. Am I to put an actual limit on how much he writes and not allow him to write more? If not, what criteria should I use if it isn't observation or him accepting help offered? I agree that we cannot always rely on him to ask, but it should be included that he receives assistance upon request. There have been no increased demands on the amount of physical writing placed on him, but I do notice that he writes more (compared to October, which makes sense) before accepting offered help which is offered frequently during a writing activity. This has continued through this past week where his behavior at school and home has significantly improved from the past few weeks, so I want to be sure before any limitations are placed upon him we have the correct correlation.

As for math, the curriculum I am piloting is already broken into segments. DS often works ahead and asks for the challenge activity. I want to make sure that the wording on the IEP doesn't conflict with letting me to allow him do so when my assessment through observation indicates that it would be appropriate. "if DS is feeling fatigued" gives the flexibility to allow him to work ahead and/or do challenge activities when appropriate. Perhaps there is a different way to word it? How about "DS will be offered writing assistance and breaks during math or activities which require sustained writing."?"

Actually back in October I wanted a specific number of sentences to be the limitation...I think I wanted something like "provide a scribe for more than three sentences" and they gave me crap about that (they are the ones who seem to like the vagueness not me!!!)

The dysgraphia is not formally diagnosed BUT the hypontonia and hypermobility (specifically in hands) jhas been amnd that is a physical neuromuscular disease that causes muscle weakness in hands.

ANY advice on wording would be greatly appreciated!

Gotta run but willl be back!

Oh and the reason he is somewhat better this past week was because I stopped making him do homework particularly writing homework and started him on an herbal supplement for fatigue! (Rhiodola)... which I told her about.

I'm guessing that it is a money issue. They don't want to have to pay a para or whoever to be available to scribe for your son. If they subtly make it harder and then he no longer bothers to access the accommodation, voila! he obviously doesn't need it so they can eliminate that staffing position. Stick to your guns.

As to that "enabling his disability" comment, I give you credit for keeping your cool. Your son has a physical disability that limits his ability to write. That crap tends to bring out my sarcasm, i.e. do you tell the parents of kids who wear glasses that they are enabling their kid's vision disorder or the parent of a kid in a wheelchair that they are enabling their kid's mobility disability?

Sorry I think that we cross-posted. Your teacher seems to be handling his current accommodations in a reasonable fashion, why do they see a need to change something that seems to be working? How would changing language change how the teacher interacts? When you ask for different language, I'm still unclear what changes the team is trying to accomplish.

this.