1st IEP meeting Fighting for our DD

[Guest guest]

This is the greatest group, everyone is so supportive and I have

learned so much! Thank you all!

We had our first IEP meeting yesterday for our daughter (she's in 1st

grade) who was just recently diagnosed with AS. The school does not

have that diagnosis in writing yet, although they've talked to her

doctor. They do have a diagnosis on ADHD, SI and dysgraphia.

So she qualifies for services under OHI for her ADHD and under

specific learning disorders because her IQ tested very high and she

is academically testing at a kindergarden level or below.

They do not necessarily want to accept the AS diagnosis because they

say she doesn't exibit all the signs. The physiciatrist and the

resource specialist both spent about 1 hour with her said they think

she is a sweet girl and sometimes socially appropriate, they find it

VERY hard to believe that she has AS.

Meanwhile her teacher and I are dying because we spend the most time

with her and it is glaringly obvious to anyone who knows anything

about AS, (especially girls with AS, since they are different) that

she is off the charts in most catagories used to diagnose it. When I

first started researching it I felt as though I had been hit with a

brick, I said " that is my child " thank GOD I'm not crazy and there is

some support out there!

THE OFFER...

Anyway, they want to have her in the resource room for 45% of her day

and in the reg classroom the rest of the time. They also said they

would bring in a behavioral specialist to help her teacher come up

with new stratagies to manage her in the reg classroom.

The resource specialist is extremely abrasive, very opinionated and

knows nothing about autism or aspergers. I asked her what kind of

special training does she have to deal with my dd and she said none,

just regular teaching credentials. They have LD children in the

resource room and one that " might " have autism and they are grades 1-

5!

They said we should try this to start off and then we can always

change it if it doesn't work. Well how difficult is it to change the

IEP once its completed? Also, do you have to prove that their offer

is not working before you can get more help, like a 1 on 1 aid? Or

am I better off fighting in the beginning.

I CAN NOT STAND THESE PEOPLE WHO SPEND 1 HOUR WITH MY DD AND THEN TRY

TO TELL ME THEY KNOW WHATS BEST FOR HER! I know I'm not an expert in

child psychology but I tell you this, I diagnosed every one her

problems before the physicians did! (except the dysgraphia, lol)

They tried to get us all excited about her high IQ, they said look we

have really good news for you she is intelligent. NO KIDDING!!!

They tried to tell me that the AS diagnosis really didn't matter to

them anyway. That she qualifies for services under other areas and

it wouldn't change their plan for her in any way. They said they

think they have many AS children working in regular classrooms and

they are just fine even without services. Well I just can't believe

that, these must be exceptional AS children who get along just fine

and need NO help and they " think " they have AS.?!?!

UGH - sorry this is so long, but I know you guys understand...

comments please!!!

Rechelle