Re: Am I being overly sensitive or is this really WRONG?

[Guest guest]

What usually happens is that they go through everything so fast that the person

typing doesnt have time to finish before the meeting ends. Then she has to rely

on her memory to go back and finish everything later. This is why we have had

to go back and change things in the past. Once, they had another child's name

in my son's deliberations. They say that someone in the SpEd office has to

review all paperwork before they can print and distribute it. My concern is

that once i sign all this, they can say that i agreed to it -- mistakes and all.

Toni

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[Guest guest]

Do they not read back the minutes, and make sure everything is

included there before you sign. I am not sure how your school works,

but every ARD I have ever been to (and I've been to lots of ARDS in

different school districts) they always read the minutes, parents get

to modify them if they don't agree, then the signature page goes

around for approval. If you don't have the minutes read back to you

then I would not sign the ARD papers until after you've reviewed

everything carefully. Sometimes I don't get copies of all the ARD

paperwork until a day or 2 after the ARD.

Maybe a good option for you would be taping the ARD in case there is

a discrepancy, you can always bring out the tape.

Nagla

>

> What usually happens is that they go through everything so fast

that the person typing doesnt have time to finish before the meeting

ends. Then she has to rely on her memory to go back and finish

everything later. This is why we have had to go back and change

things in the past. Once, they had another child's name in my son's

deliberations. They say that someone in the SpEd office has to

review all paperwork before they can print and distribute it. My

concern is that once i sign all this, they can say that i agreed to

it -- mistakes and all.

>

> Toni

>

>

> ---------------------------------

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>

[Guest guest]

I agree with ! You have every right to have a copy immediately.... it

takes TWO SECONDS. Copy machines are fast and that's what they make secretaries

for. If they need to rush off....to give our kids a free and APPROPRIATE

education, right? Just smile and say, " Oh I don't mind to wait. "

Now, I am THIS YEAR in a situation where trust has been established, so I

don't feel the need to get an immediate copy...but that has not always been the

case. But, another thing though, if that makes you feel too awkward.... if you

get the IEP back and you find a discrepancy...CALL ANOTHER IEP and make them

explain themselves. Then redo it. You can have 365 IEPs a year if you're

diligent enough. They'll eventually get tired of dealing with you. The law

states that IEPs have to be accessible to parents too. Hmmm.... sometimes, after

they would change the IEPs after I had signed...can you believe....that my work

and school schedule afforded me only two possible times to meet for an IEP

meeting???? 5am any morning or Friday nights at 5pm.... and in a big high school

football town....TRUST ME... they learn to stop cheating.

Keep smiling. But be stronger with more resilience. They have NO LEGAL RIGHT

to change the IEP after you have signed and agreed on things! Therefore, you

have no obligation to feel guilty for making them feel uncomfortable. That's my

two cents, whatever it's worth.

Amy in Arkansas

Rains wrote:

They are required to give you a complete copy of the IEP before the

meeting..not sure about the rest.

I want to say atleast a day or 2 before. The requirements should be in

the paperwork you get at/after the meeting if I remember correctly.

There is a waiver for that though. Are they having you sign that at the

meeting and not explaining that you indeed have or had in that case the

right to review prior to the meeting?

I say you are totally within your rights not to sign the paperwork!!

They need to be held accountable.

I have always gotten a copy of the executed IEP, etc. the day after the

ARD sent home with my son. Not sure what the time frame on that is.

You are definitely not being overly sensitive! They are WRONG!!!

Rains

Am I being overly sensitive or is this

really WRONG?

My older son recieves SpEd services in our district for OT and Dyslexia

dupport. We had an ARD meeting today and it occurred to me that if i am

not going to walk away from the meeting with a copy if the paperwork (or

at least having them read the deliberations page back to me) then I

shouldnt sign it. We have had to go back and change or add things that

have been either misrepresented or that were left out totally.

I have another meeting coming up for my son who is PDD. Am I within in

my rights to not sign the paperwork until i see my copy or at least to

ask that they read back the deliberations page in the meeting? These are

legally biniding documents.

Thanks

Toni

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Tell them that once you have the paperwork in hand, you will review it for a

few days and get back to them about whether you agree, or not. Make sure

they send home the minutes with the IEP. You do not have to sign anything

that day (regardless of the threats they might make.) And openly tape your

meetings. Just be sure to tell them in advance that you will be taping. I

would be very suspicious of a district that had to have " someone at the

Special Ed office " review the minutes. Minutes are supposed to reflect what

is actually said in the meeting, not District spin.

_____

From: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

[mailto:Texas-Autism-Advocacy ] On Behalf Of Toni

Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 9:08 PM

To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

Subject: RE: Am I being overly sensitive or is this

really WRONG?

What usually happens is that they go through everything so fast that the

person typing doesnt have time to finish before the meeting ends. Then she

has to rely on her memory to go back and finish everything later. This is

why we have had to go back and change things in the past. Once, they had

another child's name in my son's deliberations. They say that someone in the

SpEd office has to review all paperwork before they can print and distribute

it. My concern is that once i sign all this, they can say that i agreed to

it -- mistakes and all.

Toni

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

They are required to give you a complete copy of the IEP before the

meeting..not sure about the rest.

I want to say atleast a day or 2 before. The requirements should be in

the paperwork you get at/after the meeting if I remember correctly.

There is a waiver for that though. Are they having you sign that at the

meeting and not explaining that you indeed have or had in that case the

right to review prior to the meeting?

I say you are totally within your rights not to sign the paperwork!!

They need to be held accountable.

I have always gotten a copy of the executed IEP, etc. the day after the

ARD sent home with my son. Not sure what the time frame on that is.

You are definitely not being overly sensitive! They are WRONG!!!

Rains

Am I being overly sensitive or is this

really WRONG?

My older son recieves SpEd services in our district for OT and Dyslexia

dupport. We had an ARD meeting today and it occurred to me that if i am

not going to walk away from the meeting with a copy if the paperwork (or

at least having them read the deliberations page back to me) then I

shouldnt sign it. We have had to go back and change or add things that

have been either misrepresented or that were left out totally.

I have another meeting coming up for my son who is PDD. Am I within in

my rights to not sign the paperwork until i see my copy or at least to

ask that they read back the deliberations page in the meeting? These are

legally biniding documents.

Thanks

Toni

---------------------------------

Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate

in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q & A.

[Guest guest]

Just to let you know, I have received a copy at the end of a meeting -

that I did not take a minute to read - and I had to call another

meeting because of errors and omissions. And, this is after the

minutes were read back and sounded hunky dory. Of course, by the

time I get the copies, the only person left in the room is the

diagnostician. Everyone else is long gone. I would request that

whoever is doing the writing or typing to read back any important

changes to the IEP itself at the end of the meeting. I'm new to

Texas, so I can't be sure how they are treated by courts here, but in

my experience of reading court opinions, the minutes are not

considered legally binding. If they are used at all, it is only as

evidence of what was intended in the meeting. I would insist on a

copy of the documents before you leave.

>

> My older son recieves SpEd services in our district for OT and

Dyslexia dupport. We had an ARD meeting today and it occurred to me

that if i am not going to walk away from the meeting with a copy if

the paperwork (or at least having them read the deliberations page

back to me) then I shouldnt sign it. We have had to go back and

change or add things that have been either misrepresented or that

were left out totally.

>

> I have another meeting coming up for my son who is PDD. Am I

within in my rights to not sign the paperwork until i see my copy or

at least to ask that they read back the deliberations page in the

meeting? These are legally biniding documents.

>

> Thanks

> Toni

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate

> in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q & A.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Just to let you know, I have received a copy at the end of a meeting -

that I did not take a minute to read - and I had to call another

meeting because of errors and omissions. And, this is after the

minutes were read back and sounded hunky dory. Of course, by the

time I get the copies, the only person left in the room is the

diagnostician. Everyone else is long gone. I would request that

whoever is doing the writing or typing to read back any important

changes to the IEP itself at the end of the meeting. I'm new to

Texas, so I can't be sure how they are treated by courts here, but in

my experience of reading court opinions, the minutes are not

considered legally binding. If they are used at all, it is only as

evidence of what was intended in the meeting. I would insist on a

copy of the documents before you leave.

>

> My older son recieves SpEd services in our district for OT and

Dyslexia dupport. We had an ARD meeting today and it occurred to me

that if i am not going to walk away from the meeting with a copy if

the paperwork (or at least having them read the deliberations page

back to me) then I shouldnt sign it. We have had to go back and

change or add things that have been either misrepresented or that

were left out totally.

>

> I have another meeting coming up for my son who is PDD. Am I

within in my rights to not sign the paperwork until i see my copy or

at least to ask that they read back the deliberations page in the

meeting? These are legally biniding documents.

>

> Thanks

> Toni

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate

> in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q & A.

>

>

[Guest guest]

If this is so, then they need to have that person at your meetings.

Whoever is present at your ARD meetings as the district

representative is supposed to have all authority necessary to bind

the district to the program developed in the IEP. No person who is

not present at the meeting can revise or modify what the ARD team has

agreed to, so this approval step is wholly unnecessary and a bunch of

bunk. I would also insist that everyone stay right where they are

until the person typing has finished.

>

> What usually happens is that they go through everything so fast

that the person typing doesnt have time to finish before the meeting

ends. Then she has to rely on her memory to go back and finish

everything later. This is why we have had to go back and change

things in the past. Once, they had another child's name in my son's

deliberations. They say that someone in the SpEd office has to

review all paperwork before they can print and distribute it. My

concern is that once i sign all this, they can say that i agreed to

it -- mistakes and all.

>

> Toni

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Check out the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta - Fire up a more powerful

email and get things done faster.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Ditto!

I NEVER sign my name to ANYTHING I haven't reviewed thoroughly...not JUST

the minutes, but EVERY SINGLE PAGE. I make sure they have numbered the pages

(1 of 30, 2 of 30, etc.) so that I know I have the entire document. If there

are mistakes, they are corrected BEFORE I sign. And I absolutely never,

ever, ever leave the building without a copy of the documents in my hand...a

legible, complete copy. Otherwise, I do not sign my name. I will wait for 2

hours if I have to, but I am not leaving without a copy. That is my right.

nna

P.S. Also, just to clarify...they do NOT have to have the IEP paperwork to

you before the meeting...that would be a violation of federal law as they

are SUPPOSED to be developing the IEP TOGETHER with you as a team. However,

you can request to have everything that will be REVIEWED at the meeting in

your hands at least 5 days before the meeting including any testing,

reports, DRAFTS of IEPs (although they really shouldn't even have done that

unless you have already met with them to go over it in a teacher conference

to give your input) or anything else that will be discussed. You can only be

an equal member of the team if you have access to all the same information

that they have and with enough time to read through it and ask any necessary

questions.

But...be sure to request those copies IN WRITING.

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6:47 PM

[Guest guest]

I believe that you still have the right to table the meeting and ask for a copy

of the minutes so that you can review them before sign. You can also set the

date for the continuation at the same time. If they refuse, then being a little

hot headed at times I initial disagree and the ARD has to be reconviened within

10 days and you go home with a copy of the papers.

Re: Am I being overly sensitive or is this

really WRONG?

Just to let you know, I have received a copy at the end of a meeting -

that I did not take a minute to read - and I had to call another

meeting because of errors and omissions. And, this is after the

minutes were read back and sounded hunky dory. Of course, by the

time I get the copies, the only person left in the room is the

diagnostician. Everyone else is long gone. I would request that

whoever is doing the writing or typing to read back any important

changes to the IEP itself at the end of the meeting. I'm new to

Texas, so I can't be sure how they are treated by courts here, but in

my experience of reading court opinions, the minutes are not

considered legally binding. If they are used at all, it is only as

evidence of what was intended in the meeting. I would insist on a

copy of the documents before you leave.

>

> My older son recieves SpEd services in our district for OT and

Dyslexia dupport. We had an ARD meeting today and it occurred to me

that if i am not going to walk away from the meeting with a copy if

the paperwork (or at least having them read the deliberations page

back to me) then I shouldnt sign it. We have had to go back and

change or add things that have been either misrepresented or that

were left out totally.

>

> I have another meeting coming up for my son who is PDD. Am I

within in my rights to not sign the paperwork until i see my copy or

at least to ask that they read back the deliberations page in the

meeting? These are legally biniding documents.

>

> Thanks

> Toni

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate

> in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q & A.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Nope! I learned the hard way about signing the ARD paperwork before it was

all finished being “typed.” After I signed “agree” (on a draft copy), I

then took home the “real” version only to find that all of my son’s goals

had been changed. Of course, I raised a huge stink about it (all the way up

to the superintendent’s office), but nonetheless, don’t sign ANYTHING until

you’ve reviewed it all. Just my 2 cents…

A. Weber