Class Action Update To Bring Our Children A Voice

[Guest guest]

For now this is only for those families needing help located in New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico.

Please let me know ASAP if your speech/language impaired child has

been tested by your public school system using any of the verbally

based tests to test anything but expressive ability.

If verbal based tests were used to test your verbal impaired child's

receptive abilities or intelligence, it is against federal

regulations. Please let us know how this verbal based

cognitive/receptive testing affected your child's placements.

Please also let us know if your child was then taken for private

nonverbal testing, as well as the difference in results.

We have very powerful advocates in education who are taking our

issue quite seriously, and we either just need one case, or a class

action, to make the point.

Please either post your child's story here, and/or email me either

at lisa@... lisa at cherab.org

We're on the way guys!! (and I've been on the phone so much

bringing our children a voice that I have laryngitis!)

Perhaps Tanner was thrown a raw deal twice...but I won't allow them

to strike him, or any of our children, out! No child left behind as

they say -so let's make sure it's true for ours.

Feel free to pass to groups or others where appropriate.

=====

[Guest guest]

It is against federal regulations. That is news to me.

Hmmmmm.

> For now this is only for those families needing help located in

New

> Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico.

>

> Please let me know ASAP if your speech/language impaired child has

> been tested by your public school system using any of the verbally

> based tests to test anything but expressive ability.

>

> If verbal based tests were used to test your verbal impaired

child's

> receptive abilities or intelligence, it is against federal

> regulations. Please let us know how this verbal based

> cognitive/receptive testing affected your child's placements.

> Please also let us know if your child was then taken for private

> nonverbal testing, as well as the difference in results.

>

> We have very powerful advocates in education who are taking our

> issue quite seriously, and we either just need one case, or a

class

> action, to make the point.

>

> Please either post your child's story here, and/or email me either

> at lisa@c... lisa at cherab.org

>

> We're on the way guys!! (and I've been on the phone so much

> bringing our children a voice that I have laryngitis!)

>

> Perhaps Tanner was thrown a raw deal twice...but I won't allow

them

> to strike him, or any of our children, out! No child left behind

as

> they say -so let's make sure it's true for ours.

>

> Feel free to pass to groups or others where appropriate.

>

> =====

>

[Guest guest]

I was told so, and by 'the' best source there is out there in this

area -which is why our issue is taken seriously. No child left

behind as you know. It's why we are moving ahead with what we are doing -to

make the point clear to all.

Suzi (and all I promised!!) I'll call you later -I'm losing my voice! (But for

good reason for all of us!)

=====

[Guest guest]

Take your time hon. If it's a help, IM me so you wont have to talk. AOL IM

is tonimwells.

Toni

[ ] Re: Class Action Update To Bring Our

Children A Voice

I was told so, and by 'the' best source there is out there in this

area -which is why our issue is taken seriously. No child left

behind as you know. It's why we are moving ahead with what we are

doing -to

make the point clear to all.

Suzi (and all I promised!!) I'll call you later -I'm losing my voice!

(But for good reason for all of us!)

=====

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

We're in New Jersey (Bergen County) and my son, (4), is

diagnosed with verbal and oral apraxia and mild hypotonia. He is in

his second year of public pre-school and his last official tests

with the district were from his original intake when he was three.

I'll need to check back in the reports for exact names of the tests,

but the receptive language test was of the " point to the running

horse " variety. He didn't have enough words (12 to 15) to even take

the expressive language test at that time. At our last IEP meeting

in June, I was told he would be tested sometime this January as part

of the transition from Pre-K to Kindergarten. Since then I've been

wondering about what kinds of tests and how they would be given.

Now it's going to move up on my priority list to find out,

especially if there's an IQ test involved. As is typical <grin>,

our whole family knows he's very bright, but because he's both

apraxic and shy by nature it doesn't always come out to everyone

else. Like you, I'm concerned that a " false " score would have a

negative impact on his treatment by his teachers, especially since

I'm aiming for mainstream Kindergarten.

I'm also concerned about him having cognitive testing based on motor

skills ability. Copying a pattern of stacked blocks for instance,

or drawing in the parts of a face - he has known for a long time

where all the parts go but doesn't draw very well due to the

hypotonia and motor planning problems (possibly, mild global

apraxia?). Sort of falls in the same category - motor based testing

for a child with a motor impairment.

So... although I don't have a specific case for you, I wanted to let

you know I'm on the bandwagon. Feel free to contact me here or by

email.

Grazide (mom to , 4yo)

see.run@...

> For now this is only for those families needing help located in

New

> Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico.

>

> Please let me know ASAP if your speech/language impaired child has

> been tested by your public school system using any of the verbally

> based tests to test anything but expressive ability.

[Guest guest]

You and I had this conversation.....add me to the list

Call me.....

~K

[ ] Class Action Update To Bring Our Children A

Voice

For now this is only for those families needing help located in New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico.

Please let me know ASAP if your speech/language impaired child has

been tested by your public school system using any of the verbally

based tests to test anything but expressive ability.

If verbal based tests were used to test your verbal impaired child's

receptive abilities or intelligence, it is against federal

regulations. Please let us know how this verbal based

cognitive/receptive testing affected your child's placements.

Please also let us know if your child was then taken for private

nonverbal testing, as well as the difference in results.

We have very powerful advocates in education who are taking our

issue quite seriously, and we either just need one case, or a class

action, to make the point.

Please either post your child's story here, and/or email me either

at lisa@... lisa at cherab.org

We're on the way guys!! (and I've been on the phone so much

bringing our children a voice that I have laryngitis!)

Perhaps Tanner was thrown a raw deal twice...but I won't allow them

to strike him, or any of our children, out! No child left behind as

they say -so let's make sure it's true for ours.

Feel free to pass to groups or others where appropriate.

=====

[Guest guest]

well if it's NOT, we'll MAKE IT THAT WAY.......

About time someone did.....so I guess it's up to us~

~K

[ ] Re: Class Action Update To Bring Our Children A

Voice

It is against federal regulations. That is news to me.

Hmmmmm.

[Guest guest]

-

I live in Minnesota, But I am having some same issues with this IEP and testing.

I asked my speech clinician if she was going to use the Kaufman test on my son

or if she was going to use the test she uses on other kids with out Apraxia. I

wanted to know how this affected my son. She got very defensive and told me, "

Wow, you really know your stuff, don't you? " Then she proceeded to tell me that

the Kaufman test was too expensive for the district, I then told her how much it

was and she said that the district would not pay for it because funds were cut.

But ever since then she is not the nicest. I feel that she doesn't really have

a program for him put together. I still have not signed an IEP this year. The

last one I signed was from last August. When I asked her about it she said- OH

we are just going to go off the one from last year. Well there has been progress

in my son's speech since then so I feel there should be another one done- Isn't

it law that you have to sign something once a year as far as the IEP goes? Is

there anyone in Minnesota that you know of that would help be the voice in the

education system,someone higher up besides me. I just spoke on the phone to

another district in my area and was asking them what they would do for my son.

She said that he would be on an appt based which meant the speech clinician

would see him as much as needed privately and then maybe one group session. At

this time I have one half hour and one group parent/child based that is an hour

and a half long with up to 6 other kids. There is story time, craft time and

then the kids work with the teacher around a table and she goes around one on

one with them working on a specific sound for the week. Then we take homework

home. I didn't have him go in the summer because personally I felt I could do

more for him. This summer he has done a lot of improving. I felt more educated

in how to help him. She also couldn't believe that I didn't have an IEP for

this year. The one that I spoke to on the phone in the other district actually

knew of the Late Talker Book, this totally impressed me as the one I have now

had no idea. She also told me that all of the kids that she works with that

have apraxia have something else like downs or autism or some other handicap.

She has never worked with any kid that had just apraxia. Should I be concerned

that my son has something else then? I have sometimes wondered about autism with

him, he has some of the characteristics but I know he has sensory integrigation

too. Both the neurologist and the the speech pathologists one here and the one

who first diagnoised in North Carolina all say no autism because he is way to

social.

He used to not be as social when he was a baby. Everyone said to me that he was

a Momma's boy because he only wanted me. They still say that. If one noodle in

his macoroni and cheese isn't the right noodle,he will not eat the rest of the

food. This to me is an autism sign, but couldn't it be just a sensory issue?

Thanks for all of your help.

Vicki.

[Guest guest]

Send something in writing to your case manager. A new IEP is required

every year. If it isn't in writing they aren't accountable.

In terms of having something else, my typical 3.8 yr old wouldn't eat

the pasta either!! It is possible to have apraxia without being

autistic. Besides you have a diagnosis, this SLP hasn't seen him so

don't get yourself nuts about it.

denise

> -

> The last one I signed was from last August. When I asked her

about it she said- OH we are just going to go off the one from last

year. Well there has been progress in my son's speech since then so I

feel there should be another one done- Isn't it law that you have to

sign something once a year as far as the IEP goes?

At this time I have one half hour and one group parent/child based

that is an hour and a half long with up to 6 other kids. There is

story time, craft time and then the kids work with the teacher around

a table and she goes around one on one with them working on a

specific sound for the week.

She also told me that all of the kids that she works with that have

apraxia have something else like downs or autism or some other

handicap. She has never worked with any kid that had just apraxia.

Should I be concerned that my son has something else then? I have

sometimes wondered about autism with him, he has some of the

characteristics but I know he has sensory integrigation too.

[Guest guest]

Thanks , I will write to the case manager.

Vicki

[Guest guest]

Good Morning,

Two questions. First can I have the name and phone number of the GI that

saw in Florida? Second, is that the case with the verbal testing in the

land area. The school system is trying to test my daughter with verbal

testing instead on a nonverbal test. I am fighting it right now. Thank you in

advance for any responses.

Kathy,

Mom to Kayla 5 years old

Laurel, MD

[Guest guest]

My daughter has severe global apraxia. For a lot of years she was

misdiagnosed as autistic and moderate mentally retarded. My daughter's

apraxia is masking a lot of my daughter's abilities. My daughter is

currently in a private therapy program 4 days a week soon to be

increased to 5 days a week. My daughter is 19 so progress at this

point will be slow and steady. What I have learned from our past

experiences is that it is so important to have full confidence with

everyone that is working with our child. I finally have a wonderful

medical/therapy team and feel like my daughter for once in her life is

well understood and is treated with respect.

Robin

On Thursday, Oct 23, 2003, at 20:37 US/Eastern, DMon98 wrote:

> Send something in writing to your case manager. A new IEP is required

> every year. If it isn't in writing they aren't accountable.

>

> In terms of having something else, my typical 3.8 yr old wouldn't eat

> the pasta either!! It is possible to have apraxia without being

> autistic. Besides you have a diagnosis, this SLP hasn't seen him so

> don't get yourself nuts about it.

>

> denise

>

>

>

>> -

>> The last one I signed was from last August. When I asked her

> about it she said- OH we are just going to go off the one from last

> year. Well there has been progress in my son's speech since then so I

> feel there should be another one done- Isn't it law that you have to

> sign something once a year as far as the IEP goes?

>

> At this time I have one half hour and one group parent/child based

> that is an hour and a half long with up to 6 other kids. There is

> story time, craft time and then the kids work with the teacher around

> a table and she goes around one on one with them working on a

> specific sound for the week.

>

> She also told me that all of the kids that she works with that have

> apraxia have something else like downs or autism or some other

> handicap. She has never worked with any kid that had just apraxia.

> Should I be concerned that my son has something else then? I have

> sometimes wondered about autism with him, he has some of the

> characteristics but I know he has sensory integrigation too.

>

>

>

>