We will be engaging in battle with our school system here very soon. They don’t consider Emmett to be Autistic by their standards. They also don’t think that a child with Autism spectrum disorder/pdd-nos is Autistic. So in light of this, Emmett will be getting short changed in the services department. They are ONLY willing to provide him with speech and language. Yeah…..not gonna happen.
We have a child advocate already lined up and waiting for the paperwork. While I was hoping to do this without a battle, clearly that won’t be possible.
I was thinking, maybe it would benefit everyone if we pooled our collective knowledge and experience in the IEP/ERT department. What kind of battles have you had to fight for your child’s education? Do you have any advice for new parents preparing for this same battle? Maybe some tips or tricks?
PLEASE post a comment and let’s get this conversation started.
– Lost and Tired
Post by WordPress for Android via Nexus S 4G with out the use of proper editing tools and auto-correct.
Please Vote for Lost and Tired (just click the link) and help me spread Autism Awareness. Everyone can Vote once a day 🙂
I started to go through this, my son was at a school that was great with him, but then we had a house fire and this year has been very emotional for the year, and to top it off we had to switch schools. The school feels that they knew my child before school even started and have been that way since.
I go through this yearly Rob, and it is your choice as to what you want. Trust me we have looked extensively into this. Just be firm and maintain control of course, its YOUR meeting and they need to understand what exactly the your child needs.
Great advice….. Thank you very much. You have to fight for your kids rights to learn. Well said my friend.
From a teacher's point of view:
*Most, if not all teachers want to give kids all the services they can benefit from.
*Schedule the meeting when you and school folks will have plenty of time. It takes as long as it takes. No one should feel bound by time constraints.
*Ideally there should be someone to take minutes who doesn't have stake in the outcome.
* Remain calm. If tempers flare of emotions overflow, take a break and let everyone regroup.
* Know exactly what you want when you go in. "More services" is not the answer. Something like OT 2x week for 30 mins. is more likely to achieve results.
* Be able to explain in objective terms how this will benefit your beyond what at teacher can do with modifications and accommodations in the classroom.
* At least in my state you should ask for educational services first, because OT is related service that can not stand alone, but has to be "related" to special education goals and services.
*Remember that you can meet back as often as you need in order for the team to come to a conclusion that everyone feels will best serve your son. This means that everyone may have to compromise at the start. The school may have to consider offering a service that did not originally offer and you may want to consider agreeing to service at a lower frequency or duration that you really want with the understanding that everyone will meet back in a month to reassess.
*Finally remember those Brittish WWII posters: KEEP CALM and CARRY ON!