Re: preschool transition

[Guest guest]

A quick response now and hopefully I have more time later. First,

never say " BEST " . Change to using the word appropriate. Second, buy

slaw, from emotions to advocacy and read it quickly. You will

have to be the expert and lead the meetings if you can pull it off.

slaw.com

Also, I haven't done this but wish I had, tape every meeting and leave

it running until you are driving down the road fast enough to not be

stopped. This is in the book with types and what extras you need.

I know others will add their great suggestions. Good luck.

Mom to 10, 6 (n24 4/00) and 2

preschool transition

> I'm feeling very overwhelmed at we prepare for 's transition

> process from

> EI to the school system. He will attend preschool in the fall.

> He will be

> almost 3 yrs at the time. We had the first meeting to get the

> ball rolling.

> It was called a child study meeting where we meet the team and

> they complete

> the appropriate paperwork for why is referred for special

> services and

> determine what evaluations will be collected in order to proceed

> to the next

> step, the eligibility meeting. I had heard so many horror stories

> about the

> IEP and transition process that I was kind of nervous heading in

> to it. But

> I tried to keep an open mind and not go in defensively. I was

> already

> disappointed when the meeting started a 1/2 hour late! They asked

> us to

> bring so as you know it's not easy entertaining a 2 1/2 year

> old just

> waiting and we still had the meeting to get through and we didn't

> know what

> to expect of him in there! Anyway, once we sat down for the

> meeting I

> quickly realized that none of these people knew anything about

> cochlear

> implants. The meeting was run very unproffesionally and

> disorganized. I

> wondered, have they done this before? When the woman said that

> was

> referred because of " hearing difficulties " I explained that he was

> profoundly

> deaf. He has a cochlear implant that helps him listen. She said,

> " Oh, he

> does? So now he hears well. "

> Oh, boy... I turned to my service coordinator and asked if this

> meeting was

> just a formality because I didn't want to get into semantics now

> and worry

> about the language. And I certainly didn't want to come across as

> " difficult " at the first meeting.

> Well, needless to say I feel I need to recruit a bunch of people

> who can

> attend the IEP who actually know about CIs and the education needs

> of the

> children who use them. I can't imagine how these people can place

> with

> the appropriate services not having a clue about CIs. I don't

> even know how

> to write goals and phrase things properly or even what the

> expectations are.

> I figured there would be someone to guide me with this, but if I

> relied on

> these people I think I would be short changed.

> Their placement for him would most likely be in their special ed

> preschool

> that houses all types of developmentally delayed kids. I'm not

> sure this is

> the best placement for him, but I also understand that I'm not

> entitled to

> the " best " just " appropriate "

> At what point would I bring up the option of an oral preschool

> program that's

> starting in the fall at the Deaf School or a regular private

> preschool? I

> don't even know where to begin with the option of a regular

> private

> preschool. Do I select the private preschool I would want him to

> attend by

> visiting and interviewing them myself or do I need to rely on the

> team to

> pick one for me? I wouldn't trust them to do it.

> Any of you have words of wisdom as I try to prepare for the next step?

>

>

> mom to , 2 1/2, CI 7/30/02

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/4/2003 11:40:12 AM Pacific Standard Time,

srkearns@... writes:

> At what point would I bring up the option of an oral preschool program

> that's

> starting in the fall at the Deaf School or a regular private preschool?

I would say the first step would be for you to go to those other programs and

talk to people there so you have an idea of which is most appropriate for

before the next meeting. In my case, we were already attending therapy

sessions at the school I wanted Neal to attend, so the director knew us and

came to the transition IEP meeting as well as the real IEP meeting. It would

be nice if you could find a good school and get that kind of support from

them too.

I wouldn't trust the district to make the right choice at all. Like you

said, they probably don't know enough about 's situation to make a good

one. I visited the program that my district was trying to talk us into and

typed up a list of exactly what happened there and why Neal would not thrive

in that situation (deaf or not actually). I didn't end up needing to use it,

but it was pretty easy to come up with alot of reasons why it would be

" inappropriate " for him as an individual.

Since I went through this fairly recently and got myself thouroughly prepared

for a fight that I didn't end up having to have, feel free to email me

privately if you want to toss out any ideas or hear any of mine.

~Rhonda~

Mom to Audrey, 6, hearing & Neal, 3 1/2, CII 6-11-02