Re: Help please!!

[Guest guest]

All I can say document, document and document more.

Write a letter to the slp and state what you disagree about the

therapy notes and ask for corrections.

If you think there is anything valid in the therapy notes, bring

them and attach your letter that you wrote the slp.

I am assuming this an independent slp. You do not have to share

information w/ SD that you do not feel is valid. (I would still

write the letter to slp asking for corrections, just in case you

eventually have to go to a due process hearing.)

The SD should pay for its own evaluation. I have had a bad

experience w/ SD evaluation. I could have prevented my son from a

great deal of testing, if I understood my rights. Ask the SD for the

qualifications of the person that is conducting the assessment. Make

sure that person has done assessments of children with simalar dx.

Ask them how the testing will be conducted and evaluated. Get it in

writing before signing your consent for the assesment.

If you ever disagree about assessment or evaluations, put it writing

and make the SD respond in writing. A paper trail will be necessary

if you need to escalate.

Keep a dated log w/ any communcations w/ SD. There may be a time

when you disagree and it will need to be documented. In addition,

the relationship between yourself and SD is professional

relationship. Treat it like one.

If you ever need an advocate or lawyer, you will be ahead of the

game, if you do the above. Having an advocate is always a good idea.

Many times the advocate have sliding scale or are free. Even if you

have to pay a small fee for an advocate, it may be worth it. The SD

pays more attention and does things by the book. It can be

intimating sitting in a room full of SD personnel and then just you.

I often sit in meeting of 10 or more SD personnel and myself. I

often have to quote line items from IDEA 97 to get them to do the

right thing.

Call you local TASK, regional center and/or look in the yellow pages

under education advocates.

The evaluation is just the first step in getting support and

services for your special needs child. Special Education services is

process. Detriming eligibility is just the first hurdle.

Good luck and hang in there!

> I asked my dd's slp for her therapy notes to take to her eval

> tomorrow... and the therapist wrote a bunch of stuff that my dd

> doesn't even do (ie a bunch of words that she doesn't say and fine

> motor skills she doesn't do)! I guess its just to make her (the

> therapist) look better (its in a group setting and the therapist

just

> sits around and talks to one of the other moms the whole time) but

> the neurodevelopmental clinic wants them.... this is her dx eval

and

> I am afraid that if I take this paper they are going to brush her

> off... should I take it and try to explain or leave it at

home??????

> jenna and arielle