Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional More Help, Please Regarding Push-In OT services

Hi all. Just to update you all, things are relatively bad with school again. Now the attorneys are involved - the constant disability based harassment particularly by paraprofessionals (aids) and "specials teachers" is a continuing problem as is a principal who simply chooses not to believe that any of it happens and, therefore, does nothing to stop it. Literally, in the midst of a battle over this, my son's regular teacher took away my son's scribing accommodations during a test and told him needed to type so he "could practice his typing" and then complained to me about how long it took him(trying to make the case I think that he has attention issues). Unbelievable. Apparently they really do not get it. Or they hate my kid and me and so they just seek to make things so much more difficult. Not sure why they think this sort of thing is okay. Really not sure.

Anyway, on to my question for y'all. Remember, I had asked previously here http://giftedissues.davidsongifted.org/BB/ubbthreads.php/topics/183217/1.html about the school's proposal to do push-in occupational therapy during DS's math class. I declined and did post how I declined. Oddly they are still pushing for it. They are telling me that DS would not actually be doing OT during this session but the OT would just be "observing" so that he could then use that info for the once a week pull-OT session. I am really befuddled as to how this would help anything and why they want to do this. I do think we may need more OT but I think we need a separate OT pull-out to teach DS typing.

Can I have y'all's opinion on this? Should I consent to the push-in? Why do they want this - I can not understand what it will accomplish? what am I missing?

Also, another question for you all. The school routinely limits the iep meetings - that they must end at 9am - this usually means less than hour for the meeting. I always consent and am very nice about it but I am wondering if part of the problem with the implementation with the IEP is because teachers are leaving before 9am and missing the rest of the meeting. As I am reading wrightslaw apparently more than hour, i.e., closer to 2 hours seems more the norm for iep meeting. I have a kid who is twice-exceptional (obviously) so he's complicated. How long are your iep meetings? I am thinking I need to put a stop to the teachers and such being allowed to leave early (last meeting they missed a ton of dialogue an discussion between us and the OT. The principals answer to this is just to have another meeting but that gets burdensome for my husband and I to keep taking mornings off of work. Can I start at least formally requesting that everyone stay for the meeting?

We don't have a ton of experience, but I've never been in an IEP/ARD meeting that was less than an hour long. Both of the ones I attended were closer to 2 hours. In both instance not all the teachers were able to stay the entire time, but they were there for the important parts and put in their input. Our ARD/IEP meetings haven't been problematic or anything, though. The school/teachers/therapists have agreed with my husband and myself as to what needs to be done for DS10. I can't imagine a contentious meeting being less than 2 hours!

Irena,
DS gets pull out OT I think once a week. His Therapist has been his classroom to observe and also to work with him. But it's never been subject specific as far as I can tell. There have been times where teacher asked for this so she could get OT's take on something he was doing. And I believed they used it to figure out what he needed assistance with.

I can't speak to the meeting issue - our only big one was the first, everything since has been with the teacher and OT but that's because they are not oppositional.

As for the typing, it was very sporadic and just a program for him to use in 1st. So he was very slow, hunting and pecking. So between 1st and 2nd during the summer he did typing twice a week for an extended period of time using the iPad app typing fingers. It made a big difference for him in 2nd, he is much better at typing and it's a much more useful tool than it was..

HTH,
DeHe

I just wanted to add, if they want someone to observe your kid during class, they don't need to ask permission, or even inform you. You already granted that consent way back when you first started the whole IEP process. If they are asking permission for something, it's for more than observation.