That was unexpected..

realisticdreams

Today was supposed to be our eligibility meeting to get things squared away from the county special needs preschool.

When I  got there the lady who i've been communicating/observing with told me that she had informed me wrong, this was a child find meeting, not an eligibility meeting.  

Long story short, and because I am so over all this crap, we are on a wait list for testing and have until Jan 22 to make their final decision, although they expect it to go faster.  The testing is developmental.

I'm so confused as to why they didn't do this testing in May at our last child find meeting/initial referral.  And they don't want to use her as a reverse peer if she truly needs services (although they didn't care about that before, either).  

So we are stuck.  She said it will be Nov probably when we do the testing.  

I want to repeatedly smack my head into a wall over this.  And just for kicks and giggles I called the places who had said they were OK with her being in the 2 1/2 year old programs without being potty trained..and they both said that the 3 & 4 year olds don't have an appropriate facility that they most likely could not accommodate her next year if she continued there or did private kindergarten.  

PipSqueak0313

I would have sworn they had a maximum number of days to have the testing completed from the date of initial consent to do the testing.....

As you've been at this since May, which is too long for the testing to not be completed by now IMHO, I'd contact someone at the state level for information regarding what the timeline procedures are and how to file a complaint if it is necessary.

Lisa

realisticdreams

PipSqueak0313:

I would have sworn they had a maximum number of days to have the testing completed from the date of initial consent to do the testing.....

As you've been at this since May, which is too long for the testing to not be completed by now IMHO, I'd contact someone at the state level for information regarding what the timeline procedures are and how to file a complaint if it is necessary.

Lisa

We went through this process in May, were denied.  Attempted to find private options but came up mostly empty handed.  Spoke with them again over the past few weeks and were told she was either going to be accepted or given the option of being a neurotypical peer.  So this is a new round of testing and the papers say they have until Jan 22, 2013 to have everything including decision completed.   

realisticdreams

-auntie-:

OMG. I want to reach through my monitor and biotch-slap some idiots on your DD's behalf.

Stay the course. I almost wonder if it would be worth bringing her sweet awesomeness to one of these meetings along with a babysitter who could get her out of harm's way when things get dicey.

She is a terrific kid who has been dealt an unfortunate hand. She deserves, needs, is entitled to and would be an asset in any preschool program. She needs to be there, not just for herself. But because- going foward- some of her peers will some day be the parents of kids with physical, developmental, emotional or cognitive challenges and they need to learn now that there is value in all lives and that having some "issue" doesn't limit of define your child.

The greatest gift of inclusion is not for our kids. It is for the NT/healthy peer who will some day sit on our side of the IEP table. If that boy or girl has lived respect and inclusion where all people are valued, their path to accepting their new normal will be a whole lot easier than the one I had available 13 years ago.

 

auntie, thank you for your kind words.

I bring her to ALL of these meetings.  The solo observation I did 2 weeks ago, I brought her in for the same thing the following week.  It really just makes me want to give up!  =(