Hi...I really need some friends right now

May 19, 2006

In a message dated 5/19/2006 12:58:09 P.M. Central Standard Time,

chester2001@... writes:

So now I guess I have to write a rebuttal letter of all the things I wanted

documented but that were totally ignored.

Trish,

So sorry to hear that the meeting didn't turn out as well as you wanted.

Document everything in a letter including what was said at the meeting and what

you are asking for, and find out who the education specialist for deaf/hh

students is in your state (check your board of education website). Contact

this person for assistance.

If you can find someone to act as an advocate, bring that person with you to

the next meeting.

Another tool to use:

_http://www.handsandvoices.org/articles/education/ed/func_listening_eval.html_

(http://www.handsandvoices.org/articles/education/ed/func_listening_eval.html)

However, keep in mind that tests often don't show the whole picture. I went

to an IEP once where the school showed a student who functioned very well on

the listening eval but was struggling to get 100% access to everything going

on in the classroom. We pushed for a CART interpreter (real time

captioning) and it wasn't until the student obtained CART, that he finally had

access

to communication in the classroom. Even the student himself didn't realize

how much he was missing until he started using CART...

Putz

Illinois Families for Hands & Voices

_www.handsandvoices.org_ (http://www.handsandvoices.org/)

_www.ilhandsandvoices.org_ (http://www.ilhandsandvoices.org/)

Email: support@...

May 19, 2006

In a message dated 5/19/2006 3:32:42 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

Barbara.T.Mellert@... writes:

I feel like I got hit by a truck; what just happened?

Oh I am so sorry this went so badly! You've been hit by the same mac-truck

many of us have been hit by in the past. But as you can already tell from the

great advice you've already gotten, you don't have to lay down and die.

Write your letter, include everything you asked for in the meeting and still

want. You ARE entitled to the IEE so don't feel you need to drop that. Take

up on the invitation to call him. We're blessed to have him as a list

mate and I'm sure he can help you. Our family never went to due process but did

have a lawyer for guidance a bit late in game, and he was a great help!.

It's a financial burden, but if you can afford to go get an outside

evaluation done by your choice of professionals, then you can bring those

results to

the next meeting and they have to be taken seriously. You can demand the IEE

as well. Our district fought the IEE, not by claiming it as a hardship but by

simply ignoring it, and we didn't know any better at that time. So our

response was to get our own outside evals done. (Surprisingly, some were

actually

covered by our medical insurance.) When the school finally did go for an IEE,

they were rather disappointed to find their professional agreed with ours.

However this plays out .. we're here to help or just listen when you need to

scream. Many of us fought our districts and shed tons of tears in frustration

and anger. It's so frustratingly slow and unfair! When we were at your

point in our battle, the only I could think to do was take it one step at a

time,

because I couldn't just give up on my boy. Stubbornness is a virtue, in my

opinion.

You've got this wonderful list as a resource, use us.

Best -- Jill

May 19, 2006

Hi " comrades " , cause that's how I feel, like we're fighting a war together.

I just came back from the PPT (to change the IEP) and I can't even see the

keyboard through the tears. God, I was so prepared, had done all of my

homework, knew all about comprehensive evaluations, knew about AV therapy, I had

talked to and visited 3 different schools for the deaf and hoh, and the school

system still barreled right over me. The speech teacher did her spiel about how

much progress he's made, how he really does hear the words and comprehends them,

and showed the test results to everyone again that show how well he can speak,

she went on and on, and didn't let me get in a word. I finally said that I

really wanted a CEE to pull all the lose ends together, something we can use a

comparison from year to year, that the psyche testing has to be done by a

teacher of the HOH, all of that, I knew all the right buzz words, but it didn't

matter. My husband sat there and didn't say a word, so it was me against three

of them, all with their teacher and test jargon, supporting each other and I had

no one to support me. I know I know this stuff. I talked to too many people

who do this for a living with thousands of kids for me to be crazy. He can't

hear like everyone else! Why is it so hard to help a kid who can't hear!

I finally explained to them that the test results we have about his hearing were

done in a soundproof room, with no interference. It doesn't show what he can

hear in a classroom. The agreed to have him tested from that point of view. I

had them agree to " 2 or 3 " AV sessions, and the person at Soundbridge said, when

I called her after this PPT, that it wasn't all bad because at least I got

that. She said those sessions will get my foot in the door. The director of

special services said that if Soundbridge says after the two sessions that he

needs " a teacher of the deaf and HOH " , then they'll get one. I said I wanted it

in writing. She totally ignored me. It's not written. I said I wanted it

written that the audiologist said at the last PPT that because my son has an

unequal hearing loss, that he will have processing problems. She ignored me

again, and it is not written. I said I wanted it written that I still believe a

CEE is the best way to get at the answers to all the questions we have, and she

scribbled " CEE " on the back of the paper. I don't know if it will ever get in.

So now I guess I have to write a rebuttal letter of all the things I wanted

documented but that were totally ignored. I'm never going into one of these

things again without someone with me who knows hearing impairment. My little

boy needs help. I need help. I thought I was entitled to an outside evaluation

by law. I feel like I got hit by a truck; what just happened?

Trish

May 19, 2006

Hey Trish,

Sorry to hear that the PPT didn't go well. I haven't had to deal with

this yet since Clara's only 3 1/2 and we haven't tried the special ed

route as of yet. I did a quick search and found the Conn. Parent

Advocacy Center http://www.cpacinc.org/ I don't know if you've already

contacted them or if it will be useful to you, but here you go. They

deal with any disability, not specific to hearing loss, but perhaps

they have an advocate that has dealt with hard of hearing issues.

Good luck.

Work on your letter over the weekend.

Cheryl

May 19, 2006

Well Trish, you did just get hit by a truck AND you are entitled to an

evaluation by law. Their evaluations are in conflict - one shows dramatic

decompensation, the other doesn't. You can ask for an independent eval and

they will have to pay for it unless they file Due Process to prove you don't

need the eval and that their evaluations are appropriate. (This is rare but it

happened to us - we won , but oh how many tears went into the keyboard!!) The

IEE is explained well at this website (these are just a few of the references on

wrightslaw)

http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/05/nl.0518.htm (see page 8 of the pamphlet

about independent educational eval)

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/test.iee.steedman.htm

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/test.iee.mayerson.htm

Why is it so hard to help a kid who can't hear!

It isn't hard unless you are trying to make the public school system do what we

the tax payers are paying them to do and to make them follow the law that

Congress passed so this was part of their job- to help a kid who can't hear. Or

to help kids with other kinds of disabilities - they aren't just clueless about

deaf/HOH kids, they are clueless about a lot of disabilities. You can go to a

school like e and plunk down the money and that's easier - they will do a

bang up eval and give your child a bang up education but not too many people

have the money to do that. Or you can go to private AVT and do the same thing.

But it does stick in my craw that so many kids who don't have bulldog moms or

dads get run over by school districts and their kids don't fall through the

cracks, they are pushed!!!!

sort of alluded to this in his email this morning. Sometimes your child is

better off in the long run if the district writes a crappy IEP or doesn't do

needed evaluations by people who are qualified to do so. In a legal battle, if

they write a useless IEP, it is much better for you than if you just disagree

with a few details but it is an ok IEP overall. If they refuse to provide the

independent evaluation, and their evaluations are in conflict (ours were, and

so are yours) and their evaluations aren't looking at the necessary things that

need to be looked for with a child with hearing loss then it is easier to get

the judge to see it your way and do what you are asking for. So, talk to

and then proceed as he recommends. He knows hearing impairment, the law, the

state and local spec ed quirks and the hearing officers. It makes all the

difference in the world. Not that you need to go " all the way " to Due Process,

but the right attorney (or advocate) can often make the right things happen.

Sometimes you go to an IEP meeting just to sort of go through the motions and

let the district back themselves into a corner and document it all in the IEP.

(Of course if you are not in a legal battle, a useless IEP will give your child

a useless education so you need to know how far you are willing to go. In

hindsight, we might have been better off if we had just done everything

ourselves. I could have worked some shifts at a hospital or reviewed medical

records for a lawyer to earn the money to pay for the IEE and the AV Therapy.

But we fought and won and hindsight is 20/20. And some of the changes we forced

on the district have helped other kids. )

My husband was also the silent type at the IEPs, and he is an attorney! Just

remember, husband/dad is not the enemy - even when he doesn't help at the IEP.

ANd you have your foot in the door at SOundbridge. They might be able to be

really helpful with your district. I would hope so anyway. HOpefully they'll

tell your district that they need to be involved. Soundbridge is publicly

funded but they must charge the districts for their services, otherwise you

would think the school would be happy to let them take over evaluating and

providing services.

Hugs to my friend Trish. You are among friends here, you are following in many

of our footsteps, and years later you will look at your son and be so thankful

you made the effort.

May 19, 2006

Trish - I'm so sorry - there are others on the list who can suggest

tests, etc. I feel so bad for you. I thnk someone else had suggested

an advocate next time - that's what I would have suggested also.

Good luck!

Barbara

Trish Whitehouse wrote:

> Hi " comrades " , cause that's how I feel, like we're fighting a war together.

>

> I just came back from the PPT (to change the IEP) and I can't even see the