FM in IEP for good student

September 27, 2006

My daughter has a moderate to severe hearing loss and

is in 8th grade. She is an excellent student and gets

all A's and B's and is in several honors classes. She

has an FM but doesn't use it -- she's a 14 year-old

girl who doesn't want to be different.

The school wants to drop the FM from her IEP. Since

she currently does not use it, it's hard to argue

against that. My worry is that if in a year or two,

she decides she wants/needs to use the FM, they won't

provide one saying she's at grade level and doesn't

need it for a FAPE.

Any ideas how to keep the FM in the IEP, even if it's

not currently provided.

Thanks,

Judy

__________________________________________________

September 28, 2006

And here I am with a kid who likes his FM and is asking us to buy a system

for home use. He must be the exception to the rule on this topic! Or maybe

he's just a gadget geek.

As for the SATs ... I wouldn't drop the FM entirely from the IEP, even if

it's not in use. Because based on our recent experience, if it's not in the

IEP/IAP, then you're going to have a bit of a struggle getting it approved for

usage for the PSAT/SAT.

I like 's suggestion of at least having it in there as a testing

accommodation. Then if the child changes his/her mind about using it, it's

already

in there and its usage is simply expanded.

Best -- Jill

September 28, 2006

In a message dated 9/28/2006 1:06:51 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

Barbara.T.Mellert@... writes:

Our ToD said that lots

of teens are like that.

And boy is your TOD right about them not wanting to be different. Or they're

striving to be different but not in a way that makes them TOO different. I

wouldn't repeat puberty if you paid me -- unless I could go back knowing

everything I know NOW.

Jill.

September 28, 2006

Judy, don't have any answers but wanted to let you know we are in the same

boat! My daughter is 15, has a mod-severe loss and won't use her FM, though we

are in private school so don't have an IEP. (She would have never made it

through elementary school without it though!!) I think you are right to keep it

in the IEP and here's an argument that might help - taking the SAT. SATs are

very important for a child who is college bound as your daughter sounds like she

is. SATs are usually given in large halls or auditoriums which are notoriously

bad for being able to hear instructions. So the use of the FM system and

preferential seating are absolutely necessary for a hearing impaired child to be

able to take the SAT.

My daughter took the real SAT as a 7th grader and we went through the hoops to

get the use of the FM and preferential seating for her. We now have

documentation with the college board/SAT folks that she has these accomodations

and they continue from year to year. Our principal signed a statement that

Maggie used the FM and preferential seating in school, which was true then,

but now (8th and 9th grade) she won't use the FM. But Maggie knew she'd need

the FM for the SAT and was downright frantic about taking the SAT without being

able to hear the instructions! If you are in public school the college board

wants to know if the requested accomodation is " in the IEP. " So hopefully they

will be willing to leave the FM in the IEP.

Maybe they are worried that you will try to blame them for non-use of the FM and

that is why they want it out of the IEP. Or maybe their attorney is advising

them to worry that you will blame them or file a complaint for non-compliance

with the IEP since the FM is not in use. Also they might want to use her FM for

another student which they couldn't do if they were worried you would jump on

them. I wonder if the use of the FM was in the IEP as a " testing accomodation "

if that might satisfy the school system and the SAT people.

Of course, I'm really hoping that once the adolescent developmental stage of

being more worried about the other kids thinking the FM is weird will pass,

she'll " wake up " and Maggie will begin to use the FM again because it helps her

and she really does need it to have equal and full access to the classroom. I

actually tried to bribe her with a blue tooth neckloop that she could use as an

FM and as a handsfree thing for her cell phone. She still won't even consider

using it! Time will tell. From the time she got her aids at 3 3/4 years, she

was very proud of them, not self conscious at all, and in fact for years wore a

pony tail so everyone could see her HAs and always got wild colors of ear molds.

She hit 13/14 years old and made a 180 degree turn. We just bought SeboTeks

primarily because they are pretty much invisible. She didn't even want to try

another BTE or traditional in the ear aids once she saw the new " speaker in the

ear " mini aids like SeboTek and Phonak MicroPower and Oticon Delta.

September 28, 2006

Oh, let me add to that chorus! Tom won't wear his either. It's nearly

new and works with his new CI. Sam, my 11 year old, has the same setup

and loves his so go figure.

pcknott@... wrote:

> Judy, don't have any answers but wanted to let you know we are in the same