Ladies, HELP? IEP, Reports, NEED YOU Plz
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| Wed, 04-02-2008 - 12:12am |
Hi Ladies,
So Julia's IEP is tomorrow afternoon. I picked up the reports from the school district this morning to review them prior to the meeting... and boy am I glad I did.
Julia was evaluated by the social worker, school psychologist, OT, ST (got it added on - yay), and the EC specialist. I am so frustrated right now.
Two of the evaluators pretty much blamed DH and I and stated her problems with socialization at school were our fault for not sending her consistently... She goes twice per week. Now, yes, she missed a big portion of December - 3 consecutive classes due to illness, one day because she was up the entire night, and a week plus due to school being closed for XMas. She probably missed 3 days between Sept and Dec due to not wanting to go and vast temper tantrums and extreme crying because she "doesn't like school". One comment reads "With consistency in morning routines, and routine attendance, it would benefit Julia's confidence level and assist her with peer-to-peer interactions". Now, I am not stupid, of course the more she goes the better. but the transcends much further than "just at school". I just can't justify forcing her to go when she doesn't interact there, when she's having a REALLY bad morning. I thought maybe deep down she knew she couldn't handle it. I guess I was wrong.
But talk about a kick in the groin. Nothing is worse than being told that your child's problem is your fault. The ST, who after about 3 minutes into Julia's

I am so sorry about it all. That really sounds rough right now.
What I would do is try to bring someone for moral support, not sign the IEP and tell them you have to discuss it with your husband before you sign, then go home and digest everything they said.
There is a lot that is bunk. There is a lot that concerns me right off the bat but you aren't going to be able to adequately prepare in one night.
One HUGE concern for me is the discrepancy (or difference) in her scores on the various sections of her IQ test. That often points to challenges or soem sort of special needs. It is NOT typical or average for a child to score with what I am thinking I am seeing as her differences. It sounds like her non-verbal IQ is 101 but other composites are in the 80'? even Low 80's? It sounds like she had the WISC IQ test and I have to look specifically but I believe that a discrepancy over 10 between subtests on that is considered a concern.
Second, they are making assumptions based on what evidence and research? Couldn't it make just as much sense that she didn't want to go because her needs weren't being met? Maybe she needs more than 2 days a week and 2 days isn't consistent enough to get her comfortable.
As a mom who has had people put the blame on me before about consistent parenting I am sending hugs. It really can make you question your worth as a parent even if it is completely unwarranted.
I would recomend just trying to stay as calm as possible and listen to what is presented. Don't sign and ask to reconvene when DH can make it and perhaps someone else who is experienced in special ed like a consultant or another friend with a special needs child. Then take the time to prep after tomorrow without worrying that you have made any rash decisions.
Renee
Thanks so much for your reply. :)
They administered the Stanford-Binet Intelligence scales (SB5). The total scores are:
Full scale IQ (FSIQ): 92
Nonverbal IQ (NVIQ): 101
Verbal IQ (VIQ): 85 Low Average
Abbreviated (ABIQ) IQ: 100
First off, hugs~
This is one of the reasons that I almost always recommend "outside evaluations".
Oh dear, what a week, and it is only Wednesday.
You did right to pick up the reports before the meeting. Many schools try to present them *at* the meeting, but parents have the right to see them beforehand, and we should always take that option. Imagine if you had been blindsided by all of this at the meeting!
I agree with not signing anything and to push for further evaluations. You can respectfully disagree with their findings and request an independent evaluation.
The piece which I think is missing is true evaluation of peer interaction and classroom functioning. Did they observe her in the classroom with all her peers? Because from your descriptions, the classroom seems to be a big issue. Maybe it's the noise, or if there are any "handsy" or loud kids in there. However a profssional needs to spend time (more than 10 minutes) observing her in this environment.
I hope this helps somewhat. Good luck with everything
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
Sadly, you will find that some people will try to blame the parents because it gets them out of alot of work. And in