IEP/504: Form Questions.

Re: IEP/504: Form Questions.

• Princess_Lily member

  October 2014 edited October 2014

  Our advocate said that the school didnt need medicaid authorization because all services would be covered under IDEA
  
  Were we misinformed? I'm so confused.

   
  

    

   
  

  
  

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• Princess_Lily member

  October 2014 edited October 2014

  We're not trying to ruffle feathers here.
  
  The advocate said optional to two forms, the medicaid authorization form, and the consent to speak to any medical personnel. We didn't see a reason for the school to speak with the pediatrician, etc. but said that we are always more than happy to get the information they needed,-very polite.
  
  The dean then made a very subtle verbal threat to me (via email), stating that they would now "speak with the district".
  
  DH responded politely and in nice wording asking her to clarify what she meant by that statement. She responded with a (short version), sign it and give us what we need, or we don't proceed with any 504.
  
  I assure you, we're trying to be a team player while navigating this - and DS' school doesn't seem to reciprocate much.
  I don't understand the combativeness coming from them.
  
  Is the school doing this so we leave, like counseling out? Should we move schools? Should we even go so far as to get legal advice?
  
  If I place DS into our home district school, he will still be starting from a mainstream K...and we will be starting this process all over again. I'm scared.

   
  

    

   
  

  
  

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• CaptainSerious member

  October 2014

  I don't know much about you son's school, but in my limited experience, private/small schools (I believe your school is charter, correct?) just don't have the rejoices to provide appropriate accommodations to children with special needs. Yes, they are supposed to get federal funding to cover the costs, but it simply isn't enough, and often is paid out long after the expenses are due, so the school had to find the money elsewhere.
  
  It might really be in your best interest to move to the general public school, even though it means starting over. In the grand scheme of your child's education, you are only in his Kindergarten year, and it could mean 19 or more years of better services. Even if the school doesn't rate very high, often the quality of special education services is completely sperate from the school's overall rating. Our family is planning to move, and I'm actively seeking neighborhoods with schools with good special ed services over schools with the highest ratings, because many of those "best schools" can't adequately accommodate my kids.

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• CaptainSerious member

  October 2014

  I think auntie is giving you great feedback, but I did want to point out that getting advice from a lawyer, or even hiring one, does not necessarily lock you into using them for all meetings going forward.
  
  We filed due process against the school and our layers have never attended a meeting at the school. While it can greatly change the dynamic and result in a much less collaborative atmosphere at the meetings, in our situation, it actually had the opposite effect.

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• Princess_Lily member

  October 2014 edited October 2014

  I spoke with our pediatrician. Usually schools will call them to find out about vaccinations or sometimes if the child is on medication for ADHD or asthma, they cannot release information to the school unless the school shows proof of the form. I'm okay with this, there isn't anything that would concern me in DS' pediatrician file, nor concern me as long as the consent isn't abused- I can always revoke consent too.
  
  I think the advocate, while is a good source of information, seems to be a bit aggressive to me, which I could see @auntie.
  
  
  @CaptainSerious‌ it is a charter school, yes. We will know in less than a month if we receive an IEP or not. We are in the process of getting a 504 now. However, the SST review is 2weeks later - this is where we will start the process for an IEP/MFE (if needed). The school psych said that the psychological eval is so good, academics may be the only thing that may need re-testing. Once testing (if needed) is complete, an IEP will be set up and he will then be turfed to the home district school.
  
  Its better DS stays where he's at, at the charter, because some accommodations are already in place (front of class seating, etc) he is also familiar with the structure, teacher, and classmates. He's happy for the most part.
  
  How do you find schools rating and how good their ESE dept is?
  

   
  

    

   
  

  
  

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• CaptainSerious member

  October 2014

  School ratings are subjective, but for a quick overall picture, you can look at greatschools.org. they have testing results, and break it down by demographic, when possible.
  
  Finding our about special education services is a lot harder. First, I look for any state statistics available. In Vermont, where we are looking, that have me an idea of who still uses resource rooms vs. strict inclusion. Then it's all word-of,-mouth. I ask everyone who might know, from friends in the district to special needs advocates, anyone I can think of. When I an really considering an area, I call the school and speak to the principle and ask what types of accommodations might be available. They won't promise anything, but you can certainly get an idea of what type of programs exist and if the administration is open to new configurations, if necessary.

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