First IEP a success
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| Tue, 06-28-2005 - 2:49pm |
today was the first time i had to work with the district on an IEP. we received everything we asked for. in rochester ny, our services are pretty good. i was wondering (and matt's transitioning to preschool in sept) what kind of hours/services you get in your areas for comparison.
Matthew
5d AM preschool plus 1:1 aide in a DIR inclusion classroom
within the week 2x30 group OT, 2x30 group speech, and 1x30 PT
then at home...
3x60 speech
4x60 seit
3x60 OT
1x60 PT
2x30 music therapy
60h/year of psych--which covers seeing matt at school, parent teaching and counseling at home
plus time for meetings and parent training.
actually, i could have added a paraprof at home, but i felt that this was plenty for now.
i know we are very fortunate, but i'm wondering what it is like elsewhere.
thanks, valeri

Wow, Valeri, that sounds great!
Mine is gonna' be a bit different, since we do extensive ABA with DS (who just turned 4). But the jist is:
-- 4 days a week of pre-school (reverse mainstream) with a paraprof. He's only with the other kids 1.5 hours a day (b/c of the ABA).
-- 3 hours of private speech
-- 2 hours of private OT
-- parent training
-- 17 hours of ABA (discrete trial) spread through the week
We do private speech and OT at home -- but we pay for it.
We have an atty. and have requested mediation from the school district.
HTH,
Cathy
Hi Valerie,
Congratulations! We just did our first IEP this spring too. Your services look fantastic to me, maybe we'll move to NY! LOL!
Here's the comparison for Miami, FL, notoriously bad for services, so I hear. I got all I asked for too, using an advocate. But our system does not even offer things like music therapy, aba, etc. Home services are not offered except under very exceptional circumstances(at least to my knowledge).
Here is the comparison for my 3yo public pre-k:
5 day/week pre-k class (1/2 day). Program is new here called "Autistic LEAP" with 12 kids (4 HFA kids and 6-8 NT kids)taught by 1 autism ESE teacher, 1 pre-k teacher, 1 para, 1 aide. TEACCH oriented. (We also had the option of reverse mainstream or all-inclusive autism class, but wanted to try this program.)
Also included:
30 min. group ST/2x week
30 min. group OT/2x week
(We did not need or qualify for PT, but the class does have 30 min. group PT/2x week.)
(Also, the district offers 1:1 individual ST, OT, and PT if the children test with enough of a delay/deficit.)
We pay for out of pocket the following private services:
30 min. ST/2x week (individual 1:1)
30 min. OT/2x week (individual 1:1)
30 min. group music therapy/1x week
I am interested to compare services regionally.
I am really happy for you, though, Valerie.
Katherine
Well, this is going back in my brain 8 years. Plus it was an extremely small district, but not to bad of one in MA. California was a much bigger pain in the tush.
Cait had 5 1/2 days a week of integrated preschool. There was I special education teacher and 1 aide with 15 kids. About 1/2 were special ed kids, the rest typical. Also ST, PT and OT each 2 times a week. I don't remember for how long at this time. We didn't have home services cause we did that stuff for a living. I decided to cut back on work and do the at home stuff myself.
Mike was going through the process of evaluation when we left Mass for Cali. He was in the integrated program on a diagnostic basis and likely would have gotten services, but we moved. In cali he got zilch, nada, nothing. But I am not bitter, no, not at all.
Renee
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I keep losing what I post, so I'll keep it short. We're in CA.
DS is in a general ed class. He's academically ahead, in that he was born reading, but 20 kids per class, 6.5 hours a day is too much for him. He gets silly, climbs walls, sings, ignores his assignments.
His IEP says to allow him some creative freedom in assignments. He gets a few hours a week in "resource", which is a smaller learning environment. He gets to go to a quiet place whenever he needs...although often such a place simply doesn't exist. In 1st grade he very often had to go to the office to do his work, because it was the place with the least distractions. The principal said she'd be looking for a suitable place at other schools, but doesn't know what she'll find. I sympathize. They have to provide one, but what are they supposed to do, build him his own personal pod?
He also gets an hour a week in some kind of conversation skills group at school.
That's about it. I'm not sure what else would suit him. He's got a brain the size of a planet, but he won't do an assignment that doesn't interest him. And he won't do it just to get a good grade or please someone. I'm not sure what possible therapies would help that. LOL! Everyone else seems to have regular OT, light therapy, music therapy, underwater Tai chi therapy, puppet therapy. I don't know what any of that is, or if I'm supposed to be looking into it.
I do know that when he comes home from school he's worn out, and I think the best thing is to let him play with his Legos. I can't imagine making him go do some therapy thing when all he wants is to play Legos or write stories. That's therapy enough. Maybe I'm missing something. And maybe it just depends on the needs of the child.
Evelyn