Re: Not ready for kindergarten... Please advise.

[Guest guest]

So many of the 'typical Kids " are held back for various crazy reasons ie. he is

shy, or the parentw just don't send them until another year and it seems ok for

those kids. Fight it. Just tell them, he is not ready and as a parent you can

make that decision. Kathy

>

> Much to me and my family's surprise yesterday, the ARD committee suggested

that my 5yo son (diagnosed 1.5 years ago as severe verbal apraxia, diagnosed

recently as moderate verbal dyspraxia w/ motor planning difficulties) start

kindergarten in the fall. They reviewed several test results that indicated

average to above average cognitive skills (not sure how someone who doesn't

speak to him on a regular basis understood his passage comprehension--I

understand approximately 50% of what he says and am with him every day??), a

wonderful improvement in his speech (he was non-verbal 1.5 years ago), and a

more noticeable lag in his motor planning skills (=more OT than previously). It

was interesting for the principal of the elementary school he would be attending

to tell me she has several kids enter kinder each year who are far behind my son

when she has never had a conversation with him.

>

> My son cannot spell his name, much less write his name. He knows a couple of

colors inconsistently, he does not know his alphabet with the exception of the

letter E (his name begins with E). Most importantly, my son cannot adequately

communicate to be placed into public kindergarten. I believe it presents a

dangerous situation for him (not to mention the fact that he is going to hate

it). His disability has improved enough that I believe a special ed kinder will

be much too limiting for him. Our district does not have a transitional

kindergarten program.

>

> He needs another year to prepare, and I would really like to keep him at the

public preschool he is currently attending (and where he receives his ST and

OT). We do have an option of enrolling our son in a private preschool or

Montesorri. However, can anybody tell me what my legal rights are to keep him

in his current placement? My husband and I refused to accept their propose at

the ARD yesterday, so we meet again next Friday. Thank you for any insight.

>

[Guest guest]

I agree with Sandy -you have rights and so does your child. Please read the

following from our apraxia.org page as there is much here in these links and let

me know what questions you have after.

Reasons to delay kindergarten

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=115029735601 & topic=8863

Frustrated with the public school

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=115029735601 & topic=14048

=====

[Guest guest]

I am taking that this is a transitional meeting to go from pre-school aged

services to school aged services?

Your recourse is to ask for an independent evaluation by a person that is not

associated with the school and that the school district pay for it.

(Sorry, I am getting into these issues as well with my child and IEP's, but on

other areas than his speech.)

>

> Much to me and my family's surprise yesterday, the ARD committee suggested

that my 5yo son (diagnosed 1.5 years ago as severe verbal apraxia, diagnosed

recently as moderate verbal dyspraxia w/ motor planning difficulties) start

kindergarten in the fall. They reviewed several test results that indicated

average to above average cognitive skills (not sure how someone who doesn't

speak to him on a regular basis understood his passage comprehension--I

understand approximately 50% of what he says and am with him every day??), a

wonderful improvement in his speech (he was non-verbal 1.5 years ago), and a

more noticeable lag in his motor planning skills (=more OT than previously). It

was interesting for the principal of the elementary school he would be attending

to tell me she has several kids enter kinder each year who are far behind my son

when she has never had a conversation with him.

>

> My son cannot spell his name, much less write his name. He knows a couple of

colors inconsistently, he does not know his alphabet with the exception of the

letter E (his name begins with E). Most importantly, my son cannot adequately

communicate to be placed into public kindergarten. I believe it presents a

dangerous situation for him (not to mention the fact that he is going to hate

it). His disability has improved enough that I believe a special ed kinder will

be much too limiting for him. Our district does not have a transitional

kindergarten program.

>

> He needs another year to prepare, and I would really like to keep him at the

public preschool he is currently attending (and where he receives his ST and

OT). We do have an option of enrolling our son in a private preschool or

Montesorri. However, can anybody tell me what my legal rights are to keep him

in his current placement? My husband and I refused to accept their propose at

the ARD yesterday, so we meet again next Friday. Thank you for any insight.

>

[Guest guest]

As a sped prek teacher and a mom to a child w/ apraxia, I've been in your same

position - to send or not send to kdg?! I have " held " back some children w/

apraixia in my class b/c we (parent, SLP and myself) have felt they weren't

ready for kdg (I just can't imagine sending a child w/ no understandable verbal

language to a class of 25 - 30 kids, even w/ some type of support). I've read

the research about whether to send child & hold them back after a yr in kdg vs.

waiting another yr to send child to kdg (apparently it's better for the child in

the long run to wait - whether this is b/c of teacher bias (a child that's held

back a yr teacher may feel it's behavior - not sure if it's worded that way in

the research).

I had a family last yr whose child was age eligibile to attend kdg the following

yr, but they didn't want to send him, our district stand on the issue is if they

are age eligible, send them on (parent, SLP and myself felt otherwise) so the

mom said if it was going to be an issue, she'd get a lawyer, we (slp + myself)

backed her. The district said as long as I was willing to keep hm in my class

another yr, he could stay in prek.

As far as what a child " needs " to know for kdg - they really don't " need " to

know anything! Yes, the kdg teachers will like it if the child is potty trained

(yes non potty trained kids can attend a public school in kdg), know their

colors, shapes, count to 10, (id # 1-10 is a bonus), id their names, print their

name using proper letters (upper for 1st letter, etc), id the ABC's, listen to

directions, sit for a story.

A public school accepts everyone - a child does not need to know anything before

coming to public school. I understand it is an easier transition for the child

if they go to kdg knowing many of these things. Some schools do screenings for

kdg - these are only for placement purposes, so that one teacher does not get

all of the upper level kids and another the lower level kids.

If your son is currently on an IEP and still qualifies for services, make sure

that his areas of need are addressed for which ever placement he attends - prek

or school age. It can be more difficult to qualify as they get older depending

on the service.

Good luck to you and your son!

[Guest guest]

I am curious to see all the responses to this. I am in the exact place right

now. My daughter will be 5 in August and is almost completely nonverbal. She

has been in the public preschool for the past 2 years but they will not keep

them once they are age elidgable for kindergarten. They said I do not have to

send her to kindergarten but staying at her current school is not an option,

they have too many younger ones waiting to get in. It infuriates me becuase if

I do not send her on I feel she will lose a lot of the progress and structure

she has had for the last 2 years. Private preschools are not going to help her

the way her preschool has with the teachers being trained in special education

and equipped for any additional problems. I teach preschool and she started at

my school and it was not a good experience for her at all. So I know in my

heart that this is not an option. However if she were a typical child I would

keep her with me for one more year without a second thought. She is so young

and will start kindergarten before she even turns 5. I have asked what my

options are and they say I only have 2, send her on or keep her back but in

another place. It looks like right now the plan is to send her on and I

will have her repeat kindergarten unless something major changes. I am scared

to death of how this year will go though. We do not know if a resource

classroom or a regular one will be better. She is a smart kid but being

nonverbal and having a few other issues may hinder her ina regular class. She

loves school now and I am so scared that that will change next year.

>

> Much to me and my family's surprise yesterday, the ARD committee suggested

that my 5yo son (diagnosed 1.5 years ago as severe verbal apraxia, diagnosed

recently as moderate verbal dyspraxia w/ motor planning difficulties) start

kindergarten in the fall. They reviewed several test results that indicated

average to above average cognitive skills (not sure how someone who doesn't

speak to him on a regular basis understood his passage comprehension--I

understand approximately 50% of what he says and am with him every day??), a

wonderful improvement in his speech (he was non-verbal 1.5 years ago), and a

more noticeable lag in his motor planning skills (=more OT than previously). It

was interesting for the principal of the elementary school he would be attending

to tell me she has several kids enter kinder each year who are far behind my son

when she has never had a conversation with him.

>

> My son cannot spell his name, much less write his name. He knows a couple of

colors inconsistently, he does not know his alphabet with the exception of the

letter E (his name begins with E). Most importantly, my son cannot adequately

communicate to be placed into public kindergarten. I believe it presents a

dangerous situation for him (not to mention the fact that he is going to hate

it). His disability has improved enough that I believe a special ed kinder will

be much too limiting for him. Our district does not have a transitional

kindergarten program.

>

> He needs another year to prepare, and I would really like to keep him at the

public preschool he is currently attending (and where he receives his ST and

OT). We do have an option of enrolling our son in a private preschool or

Montesorri. However, can anybody tell me what my legal rights are to keep him

in his current placement? My husband and I refused to accept their propose at

the ARD yesterday, so we meet again next Friday. Thank you for any insight.

>

[Guest guest]

Read up on IEP/Child Find Laws. I do not believe that if you refuse to move the

child on to Kinder, that they can deny you services. They are required to

provide services, regardless of the child's age.

Also, if you do not feel that placement in Kinder is appropriate at the time,

you can file for a hearing on the issue with the State, and the school district

will be the ones who have to support their position and you as well...but in the

end if the state goes with you, by the time it goes through Court, it is going

to be too late...you get what you wish.

[Guest guest]

request to see the policy/law/reg. that they are using which supports their

position.

IEP_guide/links

> >

> > Much to me and my family's surprise yesterday, the ARD committee suggested

that my 5yo son (diagnosed 1.5 years ago as severe verbal apraxia, diagnosed

recently as moderate verbal dyspraxia w/ motor planning difficulties) start

kindergarten in the fall. They reviewed several test results that indicated

average to above average cognitive skills (not sure how someone who doesn't

speak to him on a regular basis understood his passage comprehension--I

understand approximately 50% of what he says and am with him every day??), a

wonderful improvement in his speech (he was non-verbal 1.5 years ago), and a

more noticeable lag in his motor planning skills (=more OT than previously). It

was interesting for the principal of the elementary school he would be attending

to tell me she has several kids enter kinder each year who are far behind my son

when she has never had a conversation with him.

> >

> > My son cannot spell his name, much less write his name. He knows a couple

of colors inconsistently, he does not know his alphabet with the exception of

the letter E (his name begins with E). Most importantly, my son cannot

adequately communicate to be placed into public kindergarten. I believe it

presents a dangerous situation for him (not to mention the fact that he is going

to hate it). His disability has improved enough that I believe a special ed

kinder will be much too limiting for him. Our district does not have a

transitional kindergarten program.

> >

> > He needs another year to prepare, and I would really like to keep him at the

public preschool he is currently attending (and where he receives his ST and

OT). We do have an option of enrolling our son in a private preschool or

Montesorri. However, can anybody tell me what my legal rights are to keep him

in his current placement? My husband and I refused to accept their propose at

the ARD yesterday, so we meet again next Friday. Thank you for any insight.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

We held out our neuro-typical daughter a few years ago -- she's a late fall

birthday and our cut-off here is Dec. 2 -- so I can't see why they'd force you

into starting your son if you don't want to. But then again, it's a pretty

common practice here for people to delay starting their fall-birthday-kids. We

had our son's first IEP meeting a week and a half ago (he turns 3 on Wednesday),

and that was one of the things I asked about -- if we decide to hold off on

starting kinder down the road, can he continue to receive preschool services ...

they said, yes he can.

I'm kind of surprised that they'd hold out on services for your son if you

refuse to send him ... but then again, after our disaster of an IEP meeting, I'm

not sure anything a school district does should surprise me anymore!

>

> Much to me and my family's surprise yesterday, the ARD committee suggested

that my 5yo son (diagnosed 1.5 years ago as severe verbal apraxia, diagnosed

recently as moderate verbal dyspraxia w/ motor planning difficulties) start

kindergarten in the fall. They reviewed several test results that indicated

average to above average cognitive skills (not sure how someone who doesn't

speak to him on a regular basis understood his passage comprehension--I

understand approximately 50% of what he says and am with him every day??), a

wonderful improvement in his speech (he was non-verbal 1.5 years ago), and a

more noticeable lag in his motor planning skills (=more OT than previously). It

was interesting for the principal of the elementary school he would be attending

to tell me she has several kids enter kinder each year who are far behind my son

when she has never had a conversation with him.

>

> My son cannot spell his name, much less write his name. He knows a couple of

colors inconsistently, he does not know his alphabet with the exception of the

letter E (his name begins with E). Most importantly, my son cannot adequately

communicate to be placed into public kindergarten. I believe it presents a

dangerous situation for him (not to mention the fact that he is going to hate

it). His disability has improved enough that I believe a special ed kinder will

be much too limiting for him. Our district does not have a transitional

kindergarten program.

>

> He needs another year to prepare, and I would really like to keep him at the

public preschool he is currently attending (and where he receives his ST and

OT). We do have an option of enrolling our son in a private preschool or

Montesorri. However, can anybody tell me what my legal rights are to keep him

in his current placement? My husband and I refused to accept their propose at

the ARD yesterday, so we meet again next Friday. Thank you for any insight.

>