Switched therapists

August 7, 2006

Right now I'm still a bit stunned by this but I want to know if this

has happened to others and if my understanding of the law is correct.

My daughter is in EI services. She has been receiving speech therapy

and OT. A few weeks ago the therapy center said she had to get a new

OT. A new therapist had been hired and they each had to give up a few

cases. I started to fight this but thought I would give the new

therapist a fair shot. You never know, it could be a great change.

The new therapist has been so so. She misses a lot of appointments and

that has been a concern. She also spends a large portion of the hour

working on gross motor skills and not fine motor and sensory issues

which are Grace's higher need. During this time I have started to

notice some minor regression in the fine motor skills and was keeping

an eye on things. I was going to see how things were going but if by

the end of August things didn't improve I was going to request to

change back to our original OT.

Today I get a message from our OT canceling tomorrow's session. She

said that she had to be in an interview and there wasn't another PT to

take her place. She said she wished she didn't have to miss

Grace's PT session but it was unavoidable. I picked up immediately

that she said PT not once but twice. We contacted our family care

coordinator and sure enough.... our new OT is a PT and we were never

told. We've now had the new PT for almost 2 months.

I am really upset by this and flabbergasted. There is no prescription

in the chart for PT, only for speech and OT. We were never told that

they were switching her and her FSP clearly states OT for 60 minutes

per week. No where does it say PT. We've requested a meeting with my

daughter's therapists, her family resource coordinator and the center

director for this week. When we talked to the family resource

coordinator she was guarded but stated she was never told these changes

took place and made comments revealing she knew this was a big mistake.

It is my understanding that the if IFSP states OT and they cannot just

switch her to PT without an IFSP update and my signature on that IFSP.

It is also my understanding that they would need a prescription for PT.

Currently she has prescriptions for OT and for speech. Is this

y'all's understanding of the EI regulations as well?

We are being polite but firm (so far) and plan to request that she be

returned to OT services and that those services be provided by her

former therapist. We are going to request that they make these changes

by the first week of September. What do y'all think?

Thanks

Kris

Mom to Grace age 29 months

August 8, 2006

As a service provider, I would also request retroactive services. You

received services under false pretense and were not given the proper

information.

Due to the regression that has taken place, they should be held responsible

for their error and provide you with the services which your child missed with

an OT.

Jodi Schechtman MA-CCC-SLP

August 8, 2006

I think you are doing the right thing. That would be completely

unacceptable to me. That's the whole point of the IFSP meeting to

come up with a plan that all agree on.

I've noticed that with our state program that if I don't stay on top

of it then my 27 month old son doesn't see the other providers as

often as he is supposesd to. At our IFSP meeting, we agreed that

Caleb would get speech once a week and PT once a month and OT every

3 months. Instead, it's been OT once a month and PT has only been

here every 2 months. It's frustrating to me. My son doesn't need OT

but does need PT as he has truncal hypotonia and just walked at 21

months.

>

> Right now I'm still a bit stunned by this but I want to know if

this

> has happened to others and if my understanding of the law is

correct.

>

> My daughter is in EI services. She has been receiving speech

therapy

> and OT. A few weeks ago the therapy center said she had to get a

new

> OT. A new therapist had been hired and they each had to give up

a few

> cases. I started to fight this but thought I would give the new

> therapist a fair shot. You never know, it could be a great change.

>

> The new therapist has been so so. She misses a lot of

appointments and

> that has been a concern. She also spends a large portion of the

hour

> working on gross motor skills and not fine motor and sensory

issues

> which are Grace's higher need. During this time I have

started to

> notice some minor regression in the fine motor skills and was

keeping

> an eye on things. I was going to see how things were going but if

by

> the end of August things didn't improve I was going to request to

> change back to our original OT.

>

> Today I get a message from our OT canceling tomorrow's session.

She

> said that she had to be in an interview and there wasn't another

PT to

> take her place. She said she wished she didn't have to miss

> Grace's PT session but it was unavoidable. I picked up

immediately

> that she said PT not once but twice. We contacted our family care

> coordinator and sure enough.... our new OT is a PT and we were

never

> told. We've now had the new PT for almost 2 months.

>

> I am really upset by this and flabbergasted. There is no

prescription

> in the chart for PT, only for speech and OT. We were never told

that

> they were switching her and her FSP clearly states OT for 60

minutes

> per week. No where does it say PT. We've requested a meeting

with my

> daughter's therapists, her family resource coordinator and the

center

> director for this week. When we talked to the family resource

> coordinator she was guarded but stated she was never told these

changes

> took place and made comments revealing she knew this was a big

mistake.

>

> It is my understanding that the if IFSP states OT and they cannot

just

> switch her to PT without an IFSP update and my signature on that

IFSP.

> It is also my understanding that they would need a prescription

for PT.

> Currently she has prescriptions for OT and for speech. Is

this

> y'all's understanding of the EI regulations as well?

>

> We are being polite but firm (so far) and plan to request that she

be

> returned to OT services and that those services be provided by her

> former therapist. We are going to request that they make these

changes

> by the first week of September. What do y'all think?

>

> Thanks

> Kris

> Mom to Grace age 29 months

>

August 8, 2006

OMG!!! I too would be outraged. I think you are taking the right

steps at getting things taken care of. I hope it all works out.

Janel

mamma to Tyler age 3

>

> Right now I'm still a bit stunned by this but I want to know if

this

> has happened to others and if my understanding of the law is

correct.

>

> My daughter is in EI services. She has been receiving speech

therapy

> and OT. A few weeks ago the therapy center said she had to get a

new

> OT. A new therapist had been hired and they each had to give up

a few

> cases. I started to fight this but thought I would give the new

> therapist a fair shot. You never know, it could be a great change.

>

> The new therapist has been so so. She misses a lot of

appointments and

> that has been a concern. She also spends a large portion of the

hour

> working on gross motor skills and not fine motor and sensory

issues

> which are Grace's higher need. During this time I have

started to

> notice some minor regression in the fine motor skills and was

keeping

> an eye on things. I was going to see how things were going but if

by

> the end of August things didn't improve I was going to request to

> change back to our original OT.

>

> Today I get a message from our OT canceling tomorrow's session.

She

> said that she had to be in an interview and there wasn't another

PT to

> take her place. She said she wished she didn't have to miss

> Grace's PT session but it was unavoidable. I picked up

immediately

> that she said PT not once but twice. We contacted our family care

> coordinator and sure enough.... our new OT is a PT and we were

never

> told. We've now had the new PT for almost 2 months.

>

> I am really upset by this and flabbergasted. There is no

prescription

> in the chart for PT, only for speech and OT. We were never told

that

> they were switching her and her FSP clearly states OT for 60

minutes

> per week. No where does it say PT. We've requested a meeting

with my

> daughter's therapists, her family resource coordinator and the

center

> director for this week. When we talked to the family resource

> coordinator she was guarded but stated she was never told these

changes

> took place and made comments revealing she knew this was a big

mistake.

>

> It is my understanding that the if IFSP states OT and they cannot

just

> switch her to PT without an IFSP update and my signature on that

IFSP.

> It is also my understanding that they would need a prescription

for PT.

> Currently she has prescriptions for OT and for speech. Is

this

> y'all's understanding of the EI regulations as well?

>

> We are being polite but firm (so far) and plan to request that she

be

> returned to OT services and that those services be provided by her

> former therapist. We are going to request that they make these

changes

> by the first week of September. What do y'all think?

>

> Thanks

> Kris

> Mom to Grace age 29 months

>

August 9, 2006

My only suggestion is to put your request and history of what took

place in writing and cc their boss! Most written documents are

addressed whether through e-mail, snail mail or fax. If they call to

discuss the situation and there is a resolution request them to put it

in writing.

all the best,

Joanne

August 9, 2006

My only suggestion is to put your request and history of what took

place in writing and cc their boss! Most written documents are

addressed whether through e-mail, snail mail or fax. If they call to

discuss the situation and there is a resolution request them to put it

in writing.

all the best,

Joanne

August 9, 2006

That's what we did. We put the history of the incident and all of our

discussions with our FRC in writing. We also included our request for

an immediate meeting with the therapists, our FRC and the center

director (i.e. the boss). We should be notified today of the date and

time for this meeting. Thanks for reinforcing that we did the right

thing. That helps.

Kris

On Aug 8, 2006, at 11:45 PM, howdiette wrote:

> My only suggestion is to put your request and history of what took

> place in writing and cc their boss! Most written documents are

> addressed whether through e-mail, snail mail or fax. If they call to

> discuss the situation and there is a resolution request them to put it

> in writing.

>

> all the best,

> Joanne

>

August 9, 2006

That's what we did. We put the history of the incident and all of our

discussions with our FRC in writing. We also included our request for

an immediate meeting with the therapists, our FRC and the center

director (i.e. the boss). We should be notified today of the date and

time for this meeting. Thanks for reinforcing that we did the right

thing. That helps.

Kris

On Aug 8, 2006, at 11:45 PM, howdiette wrote:

> My only suggestion is to put your request and history of what took

> place in writing and cc their boss! Most written documents are

> addressed whether through e-mail, snail mail or fax. If they call to

> discuss the situation and there is a resolution request them to put it

> in writing.

>

> all the best,

> Joanne

>

August 11, 2006

We had a meeting today at the therapy center regarding them switching

our daughter from OT to PT without our knowledge. Everyone was

apologetic, etc. We got them to agree to switch our daughter back to

OT starting immediately and to provide retroactive OT services for 4 to

8 weeks. The length will depend on how long it takes her to regain the

skills she has lost since the switch took place. So, for now, she'll

be getting OT for 60 minutes, twice a week (instead of just once a

week) and speech twice a week (one 60 minute session, one 30 minute

session). Oddly enough the only person who gave us any trouble over

the retroactive services was the slp. (????!!!!!!). Even though it

has nothing to do with her I guess this just struck a nerve or

something. Our FRC didn't argue about it, the director of the center

didn't argue about it but the slp had to get her 2 cents in. That was

the only portion of the meeting that felt the least bit

confrontational. Such is life. We came out on top and, thus, so did

Grace.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and support. And thanks to the

person who recommended that I ask for retroactive services. That never

occurred to me until I got that post. Thank you, thank you!

Kris

Mom to Grace age 2

On Aug 7, 2006, at 8:06 PM, Haukoos wrote:

> Right now I'm still a bit stunned by this but I want to know if this

> has happened to others and if my understanding of the law is correct.

>

> My daughter is in EI services. She has been receiving speech therapy

> and OT. A few weeks ago the therapy center said she had to get a new

> OT. A new therapist had been hired and they each had to give up a few

> cases. I started to fight this but thought I would give the new

> therapist a fair shot. You never know, it could be a great change.

>

> The new therapist has been so so. She misses a lot of appointments and

> that has been a concern. She also spends a large portion of the hour

> working on gross motor skills and not fine motor and sensory issues

> which are Grace's higher need. During this time I have started to

> notice some minor regression in the fine motor skills and was keeping

> an eye on things. I was going to see how things were going but if by

> the end of August things didn't improve I was going to request to

> change back to our original OT.

>

> Today I get a message from our OT canceling tomorrow's session. She

> said that she had to be in an interview and there wasn't another PT to

> take her place. She said she wished she didn't have to miss

> Grace's PT session but it was unavoidable. I picked up immediately

> that she said PT not once but twice. We contacted our family care

> coordinator and sure enough.... our new OT is a PT and we were never

> told. We've now had the new PT for almost 2 months.

>

> I am really upset by this and flabbergasted. There is no prescription

> in the chart for PT, only for speech and OT. We were never told that

> they were switching her and her FSP clearly states OT for 60 minutes

> per week. No where does it say PT. We've requested a meeting with my

> daughter's therapists, her family resource coordinator and the center

> director for this week. When we talked to the family resource

> coordinator she was guarded but stated she was never told these

> changes

> took place and made comments revealing she knew this was a big

> mistake.

>

> It is my understanding that the if IFSP states OT and they cannot just

> switch her to PT without an IFSP update and my signature on that IFSP.

> It is also my understanding that they would need a prescription for

> PT.

> Currently she has prescriptions for OT and for speech. Is this

> y'all's understanding of the EI regulations as well?

>

> We are being polite but firm (so far) and plan to request that she be

> returned to OT services and that those services be provided by her

> former therapist. We are going to request that they make these changes

> by the first week of September. What do y'all think?

>

> Thanks

> Kris

> Mom to Grace age 29 months

>

August 12, 2006