Guest guest Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 Hi I just want to say that myself and others in the group wrote to Oprah a few years back and never heard anything so I think we might have better luck with some of the others, but hey it's all worth a try again and I will do so. Thanks, Melt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 the smaller the district, school, the less the opportunities to get services. Trust me... Farley wrote: We are thinking of moving back to a small rural school. I like the IDEA law mentioned in the previous thread and many others I am not fully aware of. I think it might be possible to get more options with a small school than we have with the larger ones especially if we come to the first ARD fully armed with a high powered advocate who knows every nuance of the law and every crack we can wiggle through. What are your thoughts on this? Any one have good experiences with small 2-3A schools? We have been burned in big 5A schools before so I think it might be advisable to let them know what we expect up from and that we are very serious about getting everything he is entitled to and enforcing it. If they refuse we can continue to " shop " for a school and make our Fall household move accordingly. (One thing is probably safe in assuming they don't have as high powered attorney's and they won't spend100k to save 8k!) Chris Re: How would you argue against this placement decision..... IDEA further provides that States must have in place procedures assuring that, " to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are *not disabled*, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs *only* when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. " Why couldn't your son at the very least be placed in a classroom with the higher-functioning children and then have some inclusion in addition to this placement? I think you could make many, many arguments based on IDEA and LRE to have him in a different classroom. Could IEP goals be specifically written to include opportunities for social interactions with non-disabled peers? Your son should not be in a setting with just two students - both at the same functioing level. There will be better responses that are posted with exact law - I just know for a fact that this is unacceptable... > > There are now 3 Life Skills Classrooms at my son's school - and when > they opened that third one - and from what I can tell, they placed the > students as follows: > > The medically fragile in one class, the higher-functioning students in one > class, and the 2 severely autistic (don't care about people first at this > point!) in another class. > > Now - my son being one of the severely autistic - he has no chance of > appropriate interaction and modeling and even language. The 2 in that room > are non-verbal. > > > They said placement is an ARD decision - but apparantely I slept through > that ARD because I don't ever remember being asked my thoughts - which - I > would have disagreed with. > > What, based on IDEA, would my arguments be? > > > Help! > > M. Guppy > Don't tell God how big your storm is - tell the storm how big your God is! > Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org > > " There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to > compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should > live in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. > Everyone should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the right > to make their own choices and forge their own futures. All must. " > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 we're in a small district. Usually small districts don't offer some of the more " exotic " things like hippotherapy and hydrotherapy. Speech, OT and PT is about all our district has. Tonya Re: IDEA the smaller the district, school, the less the opportunities to get services. Trust me... Farley <chris_farley@ <mailto:chris_farley%40verizon.net> verizon.net> wrote: We are thinking of moving back to a small rural school. I like the IDEA law mentioned in the previous thread and many others I am not fully aware of. I think it might be possible to get more options with a small school than we have with the larger ones especially if we come to the first ARD fully armed with a high powered advocate who knows every nuance of the law and every crack we can wiggle through. What are your thoughts on this? Any one have good experiences with small 2-3A schools? We have been burned in big 5A schools before so I think it might be advisable to let them know what we expect up from and that we are very serious about getting everything he is entitled to and enforcing it. If they refuse we can continue to " shop " for a school and make our Fall household move accordingly. (One thing is probably safe in assuming they don't have as high powered attorney's and they won't spend100k to save 8k!) Chris Re: How would you argue against this placement decision..... IDEA further provides that States must have in place procedures assuring that, " to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are *not disabled*, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs *only* when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. " Why couldn't your son at the very least be placed in a classroom with the higher-functioning children and then have some inclusion in addition to this placement? I think you could make many, many arguments based on IDEA and LRE to have him in a different classroom. Could IEP goals be specifically written to include opportunities for social interactions with non-disabled peers? Your son should not be in a setting with just two students - both at the same functioing level. There will be better responses that are posted with exact law - I just know for a fact that this is unacceptable... On 5/1/07, M. Guppy <michellemguppy@ <mailto:michellemguppy%40yahoo.com> yahoo.com> wrote: > > There are now 3 Life Skills Classrooms at my son's school - and when > they opened that third one - and from what I can tell, they placed the > students as follows: > > The medically fragile in one class, the higher-functioning students in one > class, and the 2 severely autistic (don't care about people first at this > point!) in another class. > > Now - my son being one of the severely autistic - he has no chance of > appropriate interaction and modeling and even language. The 2 in that room > are non-verbal. > > > They said placement is an ARD decision - but apparantely I slept through > that ARD because I don't ever remember being asked my thoughts - which - I > would have disagreed with. > > What, based on IDEA, would my arguments be? > > > Help! > > M. Guppy > Don't tell God how big your storm is - tell the storm how big your God is! > Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org > > " There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to > compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should > live in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. > Everyone should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the right > to make their own choices and forge their own futures. All must. " > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 What is hippotherapy and hydrotherapy? We were in a large district and I don't recall any mention about those? I am assuming by the names it has something to do with hippos and water therapy? Chris Re: How would you argue against this placement decision..... IDEA further provides that States must have in place procedures assuring that, " to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are *not disabled*, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs *only* when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. " Why couldn't your son at the very least be placed in a classroom with the higher-functioning children and then have some inclusion in addition to this placement? I think you could make many, many arguments based on IDEA and LRE to have him in a different classroom. Could IEP goals be specifically written to include opportunities for social interactions with non-disabled peers? Your son should not be in a setting with just two students - both at the same functioing level. There will be better responses that are posted with exact law - I just know for a fact that this is unacceptable... On 5/1/07, M. Guppy <michellemguppy@ <mailto:michellemguppy%40yahoo.com> yahoo.com> wrote: > > There are now 3 Life Skills Classrooms at my son's school - and when > they opened that third one - and from what I can tell, they placed the > students as follows: > > The medically fragile in one class, the higher-functioning students in one > class, and the 2 severely autistic (don't care about people first at this > point!) in another class. > > Now - my son being one of the severely autistic - he has no chance of > appropriate interaction and modeling and even language. The 2 in that room > are non-verbal. > > > They said placement is an ARD decision - but apparantely I slept through > that ARD because I don't ever remember being asked my thoughts - which - I > would have disagreed with. > > What, based on IDEA, would my arguments be? > > > Help! > > M. Guppy > Don't tell God how big your storm is - tell the storm how big your God is! > Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org > > " There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to > compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should > live in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. > Everyone should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the right > to make their own choices and forge their own futures. All must. " > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 We have already tried Plano and have been immensely unhappy with the school (they refused to let us transfer to another) What others are North of Plano that are desirable with good programs? Chris Re: How would you argue against this placement decision..... IDEA further provides that States must have in place procedures assuring that, " to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are *not disabled*, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs *only* when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. " Why couldn't your son at the very least be placed in a classroom with the higher-functioning children and then have some inclusion in addition to this placement? I think you could make many, many arguments based on IDEA and LRE to have him in a different classroom. Could IEP goals be specifically written to include opportunities for social interactions with non-disabled peers? Your son should not be in a setting with just two students - both at the same functioing level. There will be better responses that are posted with exact law - I just know for a fact that this is unacceptable... On 5/1/07, M. Guppy <michellemguppy@ <mailto:michellemguppy%40yahoo.com> yahoo.com> wrote: > > There are now 3 Life Skills Classrooms at my son's school - and when > they opened that third one - and from what I can tell, they placed the > students as follows: > > The medically fragile in one class, the higher-functioning students in one > class, and the 2 severely autistic (don't care about people first at this > point!) in another class. > > Now - my son being one of the severely autistic - he has no chance of > appropriate interaction and modeling and even language. The 2 in that room > are non-verbal. > > > They said placement is an ARD decision - but apparantely I slept through > that ARD because I don't ever remember being asked my thoughts - which - I > would have disagreed with. > > What, based on IDEA, would my arguments be? > > > Help! > > M. Guppy > Don't tell God how big your storm is - tell the storm how big your God is! > Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org > > " There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to > compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should > live in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. > Everyone should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the right > to make their own choices and forge their own futures. All must. " > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 I am in a 2A district in Cetral Texas. We have the typical ST, OT, & PT, but nothing else. We have excellent teachers too, but a powerful and loop-finding Superintendent who is fully backed by the school BOD and highly qualified (very well paid) attorneys. We decided to apply at a Charter school and are waiting to hear how that goes. Don't know if it will be any better, but I have heard good things. If we don't like or get in to the Charter school and we are not successful at our ARD on the 17th, we are moving to the 5A district next door that has some very good and elaborate programs for ASD children. However, I don't know yet how wonderful they are, b/c I don't live there. Best of luck to all of you in this passive / aggressive fight to the end!!! I would like to hear from just one parent in this group that has asked for and gotten what they needed (and wanted) from the school district. I am also looking for a fabulous advocate in the Austin area if anyone has some suggustions to pass on. I know that there have been some in the past, so I will look through the archives too. We are going into middle school next year and I am absolutely terrified!!! Blessings to all, Yianna > > > > There are now 3 Life Skills Classrooms at my son's school - and when > > they opened that third one - and from what I can tell, they placed the > > students as follows: > > > > The medically fragile in one class, the higher-functioning students in > one > > class, and the 2 severely autistic (don't care about people first at > this > > point!) in another class. > > > > Now - my son being one of the severely autistic - he has no chance of > > appropriate interaction and modeling and even language. The 2 in that > room > > are non-verbal. > > > > > > They said placement is an ARD decision - but apparantely I slept > through > > that ARD because I don't ever remember being asked my thoughts - which > - I > > would have disagreed with. > > > > What, based on IDEA, would my arguments be? > > > > > > Help! > > > > M. Guppy > > Don't tell God how big your storm is - tell the storm how big your God > is! > > Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org > > > > " There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to > > compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one > should > > live in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. > > Everyone should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the > right > > to make their own choices and forge their own futures. All must. " > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 Hippotherapy = therapeutic horseback riding (didn't help my son, but does some children) Hydrotherapy = water/swimming therapy (no personal experience, but the Lubbock ISD was offering it a few years back) Tonya Re: IDEA What is hippotherapy and hydrotherapy? We were in a large district and I don't recall any mention about those? I am assuming by the names it has something to do with hippos and water therapy? Chris Re: How would you argue against this placement decision..... IDEA further provides that States must have in place procedures assuring that, " to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are *not disabled*, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs *only* when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. " Why couldn't your son at the very least be placed in a classroom with the higher-functioning children and then have some inclusion in addition to this placement? I think you could make many, many arguments based on IDEA and LRE to have him in a different classroom. Could IEP goals be specifically written to include opportunities for social interactions with non-disabled peers? Your son should not be in a setting with just two students - both at the same functioing level. There will be better responses that are posted with exact law - I just know for a fact that this is unacceptable... On 5/1/07, M. Guppy <michellemguppy@ <mailto:michellemguppy%40yahoo.com> yahoo.com> wrote: > > There are now 3 Life Skills Classrooms at my son's school - and when > they opened that third one - and from what I can tell, they placed the > students as follows: > > The medically fragile in one class, the higher-functioning students in one > class, and the 2 severely autistic (don't care about people first at this > point!) in another class. > > Now - my son being one of the severely autistic - he has no chance of > appropriate interaction and modeling and even language. The 2 in that room > are non-verbal. > > > They said placement is an ARD decision - but apparantely I slept through > that ARD because I don't ever remember being asked my thoughts - which - I > would have disagreed with. > > What, based on IDEA, would my arguments be? > > > Help! > > M. Guppy > Don't tell God how big your storm is - tell the storm how big your God is! > Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org > > " There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to > compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should > live in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. > Everyone should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the right > to make their own choices and forge their own futures. All must. " > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 Hippotherapy = therapeutic horseback riding (didn't help my son, but does some children) Hydrotherapy = water/swimming therapy (no personal experience, but the Lubbock ISD was offering it a few years back) Tonya Re: IDEA What is hippotherapy and hydrotherapy? We were in a large district and I don't recall any mention about those? I am assuming by the names it has something to do with hippos and water therapy? Chris Re: How would you argue against this placement decision..... IDEA further provides that States must have in place procedures assuring that, " to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are *not disabled*, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs *only* when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. " Why couldn't your son at the very least be placed in a classroom with the higher-functioning children and then have some inclusion in addition to this placement? I think you could make many, many arguments based on IDEA and LRE to have him in a different classroom. Could IEP goals be specifically written to include opportunities for social interactions with non-disabled peers? Your son should not be in a setting with just two students - both at the same functioing level. There will be better responses that are posted with exact law - I just know for a fact that this is unacceptable... On 5/1/07, M. Guppy <michellemguppy@ <mailto:michellemguppy%40yahoo.com> yahoo.com> wrote: > > There are now 3 Life Skills Classrooms at my son's school - and when > they opened that third one - and from what I can tell, they placed the > students as follows: > > The medically fragile in one class, the higher-functioning students in one > class, and the 2 severely autistic (don't care about people first at this > point!) in another class. > > Now - my son being one of the severely autistic - he has no chance of > appropriate interaction and modeling and even language. The 2 in that room > are non-verbal. > > > They said placement is an ARD decision - but apparantely I slept through > that ARD because I don't ever remember being asked my thoughts - which - I > would have disagreed with. > > What, based on IDEA, would my arguments be? > > > Help! > > M. Guppy > Don't tell God how big your storm is - tell the storm how big your God is! > Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org > > " There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to > compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should > live in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. > Everyone should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the right > to make their own choices and forge their own futures. All must. " > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 Hippotherapy is essentially PT on horseback and, you're right, hydrotherapy is water-based therapy. S. > > What is hippotherapy and hydrotherapy? We were in a large district and I don't recall any mention about those? I am assuming by the names it has something to do with hippos and water therapy? > > Chris > [message trimmed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 Wonder why they don't just call it equitherapy? Hippotherapy sounds like something you do at the zoo! Chris Re: IDEA Hippotherapy is essentially PT on horseback and, you're right, hydrotherapy is water-based therapy. S. > > What is hippotherapy and hydrotherapy? We were in a large district and I don't recall any mention about those? I am assuming by the names it has something to do with hippos and water therapy? > > Chris > [message trimmed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 What benefit are these types of therapies suppose to provide? My son loves the water and loves horses but how do these therapies help our children? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 What benefit are these types of therapies suppose to provide? My son loves the water and loves horses but how do these therapies help our children? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 For kids with major balance or core muscle strength issues, I have heard that hippotherapy can work wonders, but I've also heard that the rhythmic gait can even help language development. My son is very high functioning (Aspergers and anxiety disorder). He is particpating in a study through UT Southwestern to see how horse riding therapy helps kids with autism. One distinction here...it is my understanding that hippotherapy is a form of physical therapy and must be supervised just as any other PT session while horse riding therapy is not PT (although some of the same benefits might be there). > > What benefit are these types of therapies suppose to provide? My son loves the water and loves horses but how do these therapies help our children? > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 I suggest requesting some peer reviewed research to show that these therapies (equestrian and water therapies) are effective, particularly with students with autism. Otherwise, while they may be fun, I don't think they contribute to a child's education. Their precious time might be better spent elsewhere doing something educational. Just a thought. nna No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.2/785 - Release Date: 5/2/2007 2:16 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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