Requesting "Para": How is my letter?
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| Tue, 03-21-2006 - 2:00pm |
Hi, everyone. David's teacher has been talking about wanting to get an aide for David, but the school has a track record for sending in people who don't have a clue. I have learned a few things lately, and now understand that the school district has to provide training (despite horrendous cut-backs in special eduacation funding). I have found a good book that I intend to donate to the school. I've written a letter, and I'd like to get some feedback from you nice people, if I may. I've included a lengthy quote from the OASIS book, which reminds them of their responsibilities (and lets them know that *I* know), but I'm worried that it might come across as confrontational, since they *did* deny David an aide last year, with the same "ineffectiveness" excuse. What do you all think?
Dear IEP Team Leader,
I understand that David’s 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. X., has requested that David be given a one-on-one aide. I agree that David would probably benefit from having an aide--- provided that the aide is well trained in working with children with Asperger Syndrome.
To quote The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome, by Patricia Romanowski Bashe, M.S.Ed., and Barbara Kirby (pg 428-429; Crown Publishers, NY; 2005):
“…some children with AS need the help of a one-on-one paraprofessional, or aide. Unfortunately, in some school districts, aides function merely as in-class baby-sitters. There are so many ways in which a well-trained “para pro,” as autism and education expert Diane Twachtman-Cullen terms them, can help a student with AS not only develop academically, emotionally, and socially but learn to do so with a degree of independence. Para pros who are not well trained may actually be more of a hindrance than a help, and school districts are quick to point out the “ineffectiveness” of previous aides as an excuse not to provide them. There are resources for training staff, including paraprofessionals, to work with students with ASDs properly. The “ineffectiveness” lies with school districts that fail to meet their obligations under IDEA to provide the appropriate training.
“If your child needs a para pro, required reading for you, your child’s teacher, and you child’s para is Twachtman-Cullen’s How to Be a Para Pro: A Comprehensive Training Manual for Paraprofessionals. Frankly, we strongly believe that as long as there is a copy of this book available, no school district has an excuse for undertraining staff---and that includes teachers, principals, and administrators---in autism spectrum disorders generally and the theory and application of appropriate, effective, and practical strategies.”
With this in mind, I would like to donate this book to The School. It is also available at Amazon.com. I request that one-one-one paraprofessional support be added to David’s IEP, and that the para should be required to read this book. I have read it myself, and I think you will find that it’s an excellent resource.
Sincerely, --
So, what do you all think? I don't want to sound confrontational. Really, everyone who we've worked with at the school has been so nice, and they really seem to care about David a lot, and have his best interests in mind. At the same time, money is REALLY scarce. If it weren't for the PTA, the school wouldn't even have any copy paper by this time of year. I know it's "no excuse", but gee, you can't squeeze water from a rock, right? By the way, has anyone else read this book? I've read through most of it, and it really is good. It's also kind of humorous.
Evelyn

I had one thought, unless it is on record that the teacher has requested an aide I would leave that info out of the first paragraph. It could cause her quite a problem and that could be transferred to your relationship with her. Teachers often have to be very careful with things like that and the red tape. So unless it was requested at an IEP meeting or there is already record of her request, I would run that by her before sending it in.
Also, (just had another one) you may want to make it more specific to David and his needs through specific examples. In other words the first paragraph saying something like "I would like to request an aide for my son David due to...." and list specifics of why he needs one. And list examples of exactly what you are talking about and then relate them into the book and quote you have.
I would also say specifically that they denied a request for a para pro last year due to "Ineffectiveness" and then use the quote.
1:1 aides are provided based on individual need not diagnosis so to best be able to access one you need to make your case for David in particular and why he needs one.
Some catch phrases to use to help your case will be "Least Restrictive Environment" and how David needs the aide to be able to access the LRE. How David needs an aide to be able to have an appropriate education would also help (that old FAPE thingie)
I think the letter looks really good, but hopefully some of these ideas will give you a little more bang for your buck.
Renee