Our school has contacted us and set up a date and time to review the results of their assessment of our son regarding and IEP. We had an outside evaluation done before so I'm curious to see what they have said. What should we expect from this type of meeting and should we bring anything?
Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Great idea. I have a message into the counselor to get a copy of the report before hand. Thank you.This will be one of the most intimidating meetings you will ever have with a school, and I feel many parents are not prepared for how intimidating it can be. Peter Wright said at the Wrightslaw conference I attended this year that you should imagine the worst-case scenario and decide what you plan to do, if the worst-case scenario happens. He said that parents never should assume they are going to get one thing they want from the school. I thought, how very true!
Basically what is going to happen is that you are going to meet with the ARD Committee, and they are going to review all the tests your child received. If you do not understand these tests, you will feel like your head is going to explode or that you are on drugs and having an out-of-body experience . This why it is a good idea to get the test results before the ARD, if the school will give them to you (many will not), and to tape record the meeting. You will need to ask permission to tape record it, but you will get permission, so just ask and bring your recorder with extra batteries, extra tapes, and/or an extension chord.
When they are through reviewing the tests, you will be completely dazed, and they will tell you whether or not your child qualifies for services. If they tell you exactly what you don't want to hear, and you know you are going to fight their findings, tell them, as calmly as possible , that you need to contact your advocate and review their findings, before you sign off as agreeing or disagreeing. You do not have to agree or disagree at that time! Be careful signing your papers. You just want to sign that you attended, not that you agree or disagree.
Most of all, remember that the members of the ARD Committee work for the school. Many believe if they did not have that job, they would be unemployed. Just because they are all saying they agree does not mean they do. They are saying that because it's their job to, and one member of the ARD turning around and refusing to sign "agree" can change everything. This is why it is important for a parent to fight, when the parent strongly disagrees. Chances are, at least one member of the Committee agrees with you but will not stand up to say so, until it becomes obvious s/he is going to Due Process. This is exactly what happened with my son's ARD Committee. The teacher refused to go to Due Process, and her backing down as agreeing turned the tide. All the ARD Committee was in agreement with her, except the diagnostician, and they pressured the diagnostician to change her diagnosis. Basically, they told her if I took the school went to Due Process, she was going by herself. She changed her opinion. They would not go to court against my private diagnostician. So...When you are sitting there and everyone is nodding in agreement, and you are stunned, remember it may well be what it does not appear to be.
lillian38839.4921412037
I would strongly suggest that you obtain a copy of the results prior to the PPT so you know what they are going to say. It can be very intimidating sitting there with 4 or 5 members of the school telling you the results and then asking you to sign regarding their recommendation. You do have 5 days in which to accept their recommendations, however it goes by pretty quick when you have to make a decision.
Once you have their results you can do your research prior to the PPT and be a more valuable part of the "team" (yes, you are a part of the PPT although sometimes it doesn't seem like it).
hawks292138839.5109953704
This is just the beginning. I would ask to speak to the principal and find out why. I would explain that you want to be prepared and would like time to understand the results.
I would tell them that you want the results prior to the test for outside opinion from a qualified professional.. I would also put this in writing, make a sign off slip that you left it with______________________, have it dated etc. I believe what they are doing is illegal. I think it falls under the federal laws, not the state laws....I would also look under www.wrightslaw.com under the " testing" section I believe. Do you have an advocate going with you?Don't sign anything while there. Take it home, read it over, show it to other people who are "in the know" and take your time to make sure you have the best deal you can get for your child. When they shove that pen at you, tell them you'd rather think it over. THinks look different when you're at home and not under stares.Lillian, I thought it was the law to get the test results ahead of time if asked for....am I mistaken?[QUOTE=joemom]Lillian, I thought it was the law to get the test results ahead of time if asked for....am I mistaken?[/QUOTE]
I thought it was, as well, but my school insisted that it was not. I believe each state, and perhaps each district, interprets "proper notification" differently.
My question is how do you get a school to see the best help is different curriculum that is much easier for a kid to understand at their level they are at?To me this would work better than modifications for work that the child doesn't get. `I am guessing only 2 options full time Se room or self contained class room.what did your private testing say about your child? what tests were done?
Just heard back from the school and they will not release the results until the meeting. That's a bunch of CRAP.I can add have a list of questions that you have and what you would like to see accomplished with the IEP. A fyi they have 30 days from the time of the meeting to give you a plan in writing and that is where you would sign it. By law if it is past 30 days you can call them on it. Also once the plan is dated the services by law as well need to be in affect so if they are offering speech but no therapist due to some reason or nother you can tell them to find someone or go elsewhere and the school has to pay until. I am a Service coordinator (social worker same difference) and work with the disabled so I have been to an IEP training. Good luck