yes, Amy Petulla is out there : )

[Guest guest]

Hi Elaine. I am out there and still on the list, but I never get a chance

to read it. forwarded this to me.

You need to get an advocate to go with you to an IEP meeting. I would write

a letter to the school (read slaw's article on letter to a stranger

after you write it, and rewrite it to take out all the emotional stuff-- not

that you would ever get emotional! ; ) setting out all the things that you

feel they have done wrong, along with your proposal on what should be done.

When you have your next IEP meeting, take a chart where you have listed each

of your requests, along with columns for agreed, disagreed, if school

disagreed, the reason given for disagreement, and all other alternatives

that were considered. Fill it out very matter-of-factly during the meeting.

The school is likely to get upset about the form, and ask what it is for.

You can let them know it is for documenting that they have complied with the

IDEA requirements regarding refusing a parental request. You want to make

sure you have the documentation you need if you have to file a due process

or OCR complaint. I know that you know a good deal about the law; bring a

copy of the LRE parts so you can cite chapter and verse. It is intimidating

to schools to know that you know more than they do about special ed law.

That they know you are documenting and that you know the law, combined with

the presence of an advocate, is likely to get you much further. I would

also have him tested yourself (with his glasses) at the next meeting (and

not through having the school pay for it, paying yourself will make sure you

get someone truly independent, and should not be that expensive), and make

sure to put into your letter that he did not have his glasses when he took

the test, and what his vision is, so that you can prove, if you have to,

that your test is valid while theirs is not. Also, make a list to take with

you to the meeting of all the things that your son has been able to do, as

well as copies of his work, to show that he CAN function higher than they

are claiming, and that what you are asking for is appropriate. If you have

good examples of work, ask that they be included in the file.

Got to go put kiddies to bed, hope this is helpful. BTW, I am speaking at a

seminar on discipline under IDEA the last Friday in September in Atlanta, if

anyone is interested, let me know.

Love to all!

Amy Petulla

amyp98@...

> We moved to Savannah, paid $50,000 more than we would have had to pay for

a house to get a better program for . We were told that this was the

school we would WANT our son to go to. We made a huge mistake. This

program is the 60s style " trainable " program. They call it something else

but that is exactly what it is. There are no academics and all they do is

train them for jobs and send them out in the job market. There is very

little interaction with same age peers and NO access to the general

curriculum. I told them that this was a trainable class and unacceptable to

me. I told them that they should get out of the 60s mentality. They really

need some training on the latest practices. They told me that was

so " low functioning " that it would be a waste of time to teach him anything

that wasn't functional academics. I said I wonder what education would be

like if we did this for all people. For one thing--most algebra teachers

would be out of a D*mned job. As you can probably tell, I'm a tad put

out!!! They also tested my son without notifying us, without our consent,

and without his glasses. He refuses to wear them (and I just found them in

a box) but that's beside the point. Any advice would be helpful.

(dh) did his usual " I'm the reasonable parent and she's the irrational one "

routine and that drove me insane. He agreed with me but wouldn't speak up.

HELP!!

> Elaine

>