unsure what to do next (long)

[Guest guest]

My DS has been dx with Severe Apraxia with a secondary dx of SLI. He

was recieving Speech through EI since 21 months. We didn't like the

services being offered (mostly due to toom any kids and not enough

SLPs) and decided to pay for private SLP 2 times a week. He will be

3 in July. We had his eval and assessment for preschool with the

school district in mid May. The eval stated 3% intelligiblity. They

wanted to put him in a self contained sp ed preschool 4 days a week

or the language based preschool 2 days a week. After speaking with

the Ei speech therapist and his private SLP both believe he should

attend the regular head start preschool with speech services. This

would not only be the LRE school but also after visiting all 3 I

believe the most appropriate for him.

I put off the IEP meeting (which they scheduled right after the

assessment/eval mtg and assumed I would sign their " draft " ) until I

could visit the schools. When I told them of my placement choice

and what the SLPs had stated I was told that they could give me an

hour of services a week " It is standard. " How services can be

standard I'm not sure since the I in IEP means individual. Anyway,

the SLP who was to attend the IEP mtg -scheduled for the last day of

school didn't make it to the mtg(son had to have emergency eye

surergy) so I only met with the EI evaluator. I don't think she ever

ran an IEP mtg alone. When ever I asked or suggested a change on the

IEP (requested more speech hours or more times a week, IEP expire in

6 months, to add comments) she would say something like, " I can't

change that since I'm not the SLP " or " the SLP who will work with

him in preschool can help you with that. " Then towards the end I

sign a consent for placement but did not sign the IEP. When I asked

if I needed to sign it she said " No there was nothing to sign. " I

have nothing stating whether I agree or disagreed with the IEP. The

IEP was copied and I was given one. The page regarding services

states he will be recieving hours in a self contained classroom but

the placement page states he will be going to the LRE head start

program in the fall. School is out for the year. What do I do now?

Wait until school starts and ask for another mtg or contact someone

who was not involved at all in the testing/eval and may not be in

the EI Preschool transition dept.?

[Guest guest]

At your IEP meeting, was the case manager for your school district in

attendance? Your board of education is always open, someone has to

be around to address your concerns, like the director of special

services? I never heard of a EI person handling the IEP meeting for

a school district. It is good that you did not sign the IEP.

I would send a letter to the director of special services or call

them. You want to make sure your child is going to be in that LRE

program the whole time. It sounds like they will pull him out for

part of the day and put him in the self contained class, kinda like

mainstreaming. They are trying to provide the supplementary supports

he needs in the LRE in the self contained class. For instance, in

the self contained class the speech therapist probably comes in and

works with the kids for 30 minutes 1 or 2 a week. But that should

not be a reason to have your son go into that class. That service

should come to him, not the other way around.

I think many districts only use an hour a week for speech. But that

does not mean that your child can not receive more. What was the

recommendation on his speech evaluation that the school did? The

same amount? What did the SLP from EI recommend for speech? If you

think he needs more, you can request an independent speech eval or

first write a letter requesting more speech with your reasons why and

in the letter state you want a written answer with the reasons why

additional speech services will not be provided. If they don't

provide more, ask for an independent evaluation.

My 4 year old son has articulation issues only. He is receiving

speech in the school 2 a week 30 minutes. After EI services I told

the school district I wanted to keep him in his private PreK and take

him for speech only. They agreed. The next year there was a new

director and he wanted him in the school. It took me about 3 months

but I would not consent to having my son in the preK self contained

class. I felt there was no reason and argued LRE law. It finally

worked and he will go into the LRE class.

If you don't more or less bother them, they won't come to you with

the best options.

good luck

>

> My DS has been dx with Severe Apraxia with a secondary dx of SLI.

He

> was recieving Speech through EI since 21 months. We didn't like the

> services being offered (mostly due to toom any kids and not enough

> SLPs) and decided to pay for private SLP 2 times a week. He will be

> 3 in July. We had his eval and assessment for preschool with the

> school district in mid May. The eval stated 3% intelligiblity. They

> wanted to put him in a self contained sp ed preschool 4 days a week

> or the language based preschool 2 days a week. After speaking with

> the Ei speech therapist and his private SLP both believe he should

> attend the regular head start preschool with speech services. This

> would not only be the LRE school but also after visiting all 3 I

> believe the most appropriate for him.

>

> I put off the IEP meeting (which they scheduled right after the

> assessment/eval mtg and assumed I would sign their " draft " ) until I

> could visit the schools. When I told them of my placement choice

> and what the SLPs had stated I was told that they could give me an

> hour of services a week " It is standard. " How services can be

> standard I'm not sure since the I in IEP means individual. Anyway,

> the SLP who was to attend the IEP mtg -scheduled for the last day

of

> school didn't make it to the mtg(son had to have emergency eye

> surergy) so I only met with the EI evaluator. I don't think she

ever

> ran an IEP mtg alone. When ever I asked or suggested a change on

the

> IEP (requested more speech hours or more times a week, IEP expire

in

> 6 months, to add comments) she would say something like, " I can't

> change that since I'm not the SLP " or " the SLP who will work with

> him in preschool can help you with that. " Then towards the end I

> sign a consent for placement but did not sign the IEP. When I asked

> if I needed to sign it she said " No there was nothing to sign. " I

> have nothing stating whether I agree or disagreed with the IEP. The

> IEP was copied and I was given one. The page regarding services

> states he will be recieving hours in a self contained classroom but

> the placement page states he will be going to the LRE head start

> program in the fall. School is out for the year. What do I do now?

> Wait until school starts and ask for another mtg or contact someone

> who was not involved at all in the testing/eval and may not be in

> the EI Preschool transition dept.?

>