Guest guest Posted December 13, 2001 Report Share Posted December 13, 2001 Are you looking for a psychiatrist? if so, e-mail me directly. There is a guy in Houston who use to work in the Ladder's program - margaret bauman's group in Boston. Also, the label does not drive services. It is the deficits that drive services. have you identified what service you think you child needs that the school is not providing and do the current assessments identify services as necessary that the school is not providing? If not, you might have a hard time getting the IEE paid for by the school. Having said that, the school is responsible for identifying all disabilities. But, due process cases in Texas let the schools off the hook if they can show that even if they didn't use the right label, that if the child made progress then they recieved an appropriate education - and that is the bottom line. A real good assessment does more than give a label. It provides very specific and detailed recommendations that are tailored to remediating the child's deficits that could be expected to interfere with them progressing in the general curriculum and keeping pace w/ non-disabled peers. Ronnie Austin need an evaluator remember me...we are the ones who's testing results just confused everyone even more by saying she acts like she has PDD, she needs to be treated as if she has it, we need to be trained as if she has it...but they did not give her the PDD as a diagnosis. So...Due to the fact that the school's assesment was so disappointing...I told them we were going to be asking for a full independent evalution. She has had two psychiatrists who said she has it and I refuse to accept the schools answer. Not that I want her to have it...I just want her to be able to have access to the same kinds of help she would be able to have if she had the diagnosis from them! SO... we live in Gatesville Texas...which is near Waco, Temple, Killeen area...would go to Austin...even Dallas/Ft.Worth if we had to.... We just want someone who has alot of experience in doing the kinds of testing that schools need in order to qualify her for the help that she needs! It just seems completely rediculous to say she needs the help, but then refuse to give her the diagnosis that is going to get her the help that she needs! thanks so much... Tina Yows TEXAS-AUTISM-ADVOCACY WEBSITE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/autismlist FEAT News Information: http://www.feat.org/scripts/wa.exe http://www.feat.org " Healing Autism: No Finer a Cause on the Planet " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 14, 2001 Report Share Posted December 14, 2001 Ronnie, Thank you so much for all of your information...however , this is my reality.... You say the label does not drive services.... Unfortunately that is EXACTLY the opposite of what I am being told. Here they say that without the PDD label they can not offer her / us as many services... She (the diagnostician) says she doesn't make the law, she just has to follow it. Even the principal questioned her on why do the autism kids get to have so much more just because they have autism. She has no communication board, she has no social skills training, she has no teacher/therapist/etc. who knows anything at all about working with kids who have a developmental disorder! She has not made any improvements to speak of, and certainly no where NEAR her non-disabled peers and general curriculum!!!!! She is so far behind any of them that there is absolutely NO ONE they can get to sit with her who is doing the same level of things she is on! Her behaviors have been so upsetting that they have hardly gone past anything beyond a 4 year old level.... She is now 8 yrs old!!! So...they could HARDLY say that what they are doing is working! I get asked weekly from the teacher, the aid, the PRINCIPAL, everyone who has anyting to do with her " what are we supposed to do when she acts like that.... " HELLO????? Shouldn't it be I who is going to them for help????? I have been asking for years for a picture communication board for her... Just this year they finally made a picture book for her to tell me about her school day (ok..but hardly enough!) I asked them to make a picture schedule for her daily routines...they had no idea what I was talking about...The teacher told me that it was really hard to make a schedule for her because they never know what she is going to be able to do that day....... " WHAT DOES that mean???? " If they don't know what they are doing from moment to moment then she sure doesn't know!!! They won't use sign language (don't know it), and don't like to use the pict ure communications because they say she needs to learn to talk! DO you see what I am going up against here???? Any ideas??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 14, 2001 Report Share Posted December 14, 2001 Sounds to me it is time for due process and you need a very good attorney. They have to address her behavior and behavior is usually a function of communication ( sounds like she has no system). If she cannot behave, she cannot be taught. If the school cannot provide for her, then they have to contract privately. An issue you may run into is that given her behavior is so bad, standarrdizedc testing may show a severe MR label and then the school will say that she is not progressing because of the MR, not because they are not providing an appropriate program. Do you have copies of all the prior school assessments? If not, get them and study them. Was she scoring in the MR range back then? If not, then you do need some really good assessment. Also, what about meds? Good behavior management is essential, but it cannot over come biochemical stuff. Has your daughter had a 24 hr eeg? It tool 8 years to get the right meds for my son and it has made the world of difference! I will be happy to walk you through some things. However, at the moment I need to get ready for a school meeting where they are trying to deny us access to his records. Hang in there. Is it possible to take your daughter to the Autism clinic at UCLA? That is where I would go - it takes months to get an apporintment - they do a 2 -3 day arena assessment and BJ freeman is involved - she is an expert that would tear the school district apart. I am waiting for an appointment ther , myself. Ronnie Austin Re: need an evaluator Ronnie, Thank you so much for all of your information...however , this is my reality.... You say the label does not drive services.... Unfortunately that is EXACTLY the opposite of what I am being told. Here they say that without the PDD label they can not offer her / us as many services... She (the diagnostician) says she doesn't make the law, she just has to follow it. Even the principal questioned her on why do the autism kids get to have so much more just because they have autism. She has no communication board, she has no social skills training, she has no teacher/therapist/etc. who knows anything at all about working with kids who have a developmental disorder! She has not made any improvements to speak of, and certainly no where NEAR her non-disabled peers and general curriculum!!!!! She is so far behind any of them that there is absolutely NO ONE they can get to sit with her who is doing the same level of things she is on! Her behaviors have been so upsetting that they have hardly gone past anything beyond a 4 year old level.... She is now 8 yrs old!!! So...they could HARDLY say that what they are doing is working! I get asked weekly from the teacher, the aid, the PRINCIPAL, everyone who has anyting to do with her " what are we supposed to do when she acts like that.... " HELLO????? Shouldn't it be I who is going to them for help????? I have been asking for years for a picture communication board for her... Just this year they finally made a picture book for her to tell me about her school day (ok..but hardly enough!) I asked them to make a picture schedule for her daily routines...they had no idea what I was talking about...The teacher told me that it was really hard to make a schedule for her because they never know what she is going to be able to do that day....... " WHAT DOES that mean???? " If they don't know what they are doing from moment to moment then she sure doesn't know!!! They won't use sign language (don't know it), and don't like to use the pict ure communications because they say she needs to learn to talk! DO you see what I am going up against here???? Any ideas??????? TEXAS-AUTISM-ADVOCACY WEBSITE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/autismlist FEAT News Information: http://www.feat.org/scripts/wa.exe http://www.feat.org " Healing Autism: No Finer a Cause on the Planet " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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